Just One Kiss
by brethewriter
Summary: After the coronation, things were supposed to be easy. But when Ben serenaded Mal while under the love spell, he unwillingly made a promise that could change their whole relationship. Over the summer, can Mal survive the pressures of being a King's girlfriend? Can Ben and Mal survive the summer without locking lips? Or will the pressures be too great?
1. Chapter 1

Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, sat at the desk in the room she shared with Evie, twirling a violet tendril between her fingers as she read. She was relieved to have the room to herself for what felt like the first time in weeks. Evie was out with Doug and everyone else at the tourney game, the faint cheers of the crowd and the announcer's mumbled blow by blow of the game coming through the window every few minutes. After the debacle of the last one and Ben's proclamation due to her very powerful love potion, Mal had decided to skip it in favor of studying.

Of course, her mother wasn't helping.

"Has loverboy kissed you yet?" Her mother's miniaturized voice came from the plastic cage that had become her new habitat. It had been spelled up the wazoo by Fairy Godmother to keep her in after Mal had fought hard to keep her in their dorm. "I'm counting on it, you know." For a brief moment, it felt like they were gossiping as any mother and daughter could, Then Mal remembered Ben's proclamation while under her love spell.

 _I would give my kingdom for just one kiss._

Promises were promises, in Auradon and on the isle, and they were not easily broken, especially with the faerie kind. Mal was at least half faerie. Her mother had never told her who her father really was. Only that he was a weak human.

Her mother's miniature laugh pulled her out of her thoughts. "When he does take your first kiss, King Ben's kingdom will be mine forever!" She reminded her, and Mal closed her book and stood from the desk, her anger building.

She had spent the last three weeks of her relationship with Ben coming up with every excuse she could think of not to kiss him. Every spare moment that she wasn't in class or with Ben, avoiding his lips, researching a way to counteract his promise. She had already spent sixteen years under her mother's rule, trying to be evil and impress her enough to give her more of her name.

Forever would just be too long.

"I would rather die!" Mal answered with a shout before she could even think to correct herself. Then she realized what she had done.

Her mother laughed. "If that's what it takes." She answered, "And once a promise, always a promise." She reminded her, once again giddy.

Mal groaned and slammed the door to her dorm harder than she intended. She took her book with her, clasped under her arm as she tried to calm herself down before her anger overtook her. In an instant she ran right into Ben, still slightly sweaty from the game and she jumped in surprise.

He stood there steadying her, his usual smile plastered on his face, the same one whenever he saw her. It only faltered slightly as he noticed her surprise.

"Hey!" He said, reminding her of an excited puppy. Every time they met up, no matter how long apart, he looked excited to just see her and know her. She knew he was probably waiting in excitement for the one thing she could not give. "I missed you at the game." He told her, leaning in for a kiss and she instantly moved away.

"Mushrooms!" She told him as she freed herself from his arms and moved to dart past him. "I just had a salad with mushrooms and you are allergic." She lied, trying to keep at least some of her cool. She wondered how many excuses she could think of before she ran out of them. She and Ben had already been dating for nearly three weeks and she had used so many already.

Ben just agreed and started to follow her down the hall. "Ok." He answered, accepting it as easily as if it had been the truth, too innocent to even think that she could be lying to him the entire time, "but I still missed you at the game." He repeated, the smile still on his face she was sure, though she didn't risk looking back. She didn't have to look back to know that he was trying to catch up to her again.

"I was studying." She explained as she headed for the stairs. She had to get to the library and do more research, especially after her accidental promise to her mother "The remedial goodness final is coming up and I really need to study." She lied. The lie was partially true, though it was going to be an easy final for her. "Gotta get to the library!" She exclaimed, taking the stairs two at a time.

"I could help you study." Ben suggested, catching up to her, his smile finally starting to flag, but just slightly, his dimples melting away as they walked side by side. "I'm great at being good." He explained, and she couldn't really argue with that, "and I am the king after all." He gave her a little wink.

As if she could ever forget that.

"Sorry." She said, avoiding his eyes, and glancing at his face momentarily "I promised Jay, Evie and Carlos that we could cram. It's not fair to you to study for a class you're not even taking. Evil, but not fair." She was getting better at making excuses and it still sometimes shocked her how easily he ate them all up. "And you need a shower." She told him, the sweat from the tourney game still present in his hair and on his forehead, the smell of teenage boy nearly overpowering.

"Can I see you later tonight?" Ben asked, accepting that he needed to shower after the big game. She couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't showered in the locker room like he usually did. "We could go back to the lake and I could bring more strawberries." He suggested as he turned and walked backwards to face her for several steps, his eyes on her and not the other students he should have been avoiding. "I could teach you how to swim." He whispered suggestively, reaching out for a tendril of her violet hair as he had at the enchanted lake.

That idea sounded great, and she wished she could, but she couldn't risk being alone with Ben on a date where he could possibly kiss her. Half naked, dripping wet, definitely too much potential of a kiss that could quite possibly kill her.

"Maybe we should do something with Doug and Evie." She suggested instead, moving out of hte way of his hand and shuffling past him, She knew he wasn't going to give up until he found a way to spend some time with her. "But I'll see you later!" She said before she darted off through the crowds just coming back from the championship tourney game. She did not want to risk another chance at a kiss and have to make up another excuse.

"Ok." He answered, his response less than enthusiastic. He stood outside the dorms as she darted away, "Text me?" He shouted over the general hum of the other students before she ran farther away and toward the library.

Mal let out a sigh of relief when Ben had stopped following her. She hated that she had to consistently push him away, and how second nature it was becoming. She slowed down to a fast walk, not wanting to intentionally bump into anyone. It wasn't that kind of day.

Had she really messed everything up further with just four little words? She hadn't said that she promised but she knew enough to know that the intent was there. And intent in magic was everything. If she did kiss Ben, would she die and his kingdom go to her mother? She didn't know. But she knew she wasn't willing to risk it.

She had to find a way to break it without him knowing, and as soon as possible.

The library was quiet when she entered, not too many students there to study for finals, especially after the championship tourney game. She found a table in the back, closer to the restricted section, the locked up section with the old magic books and the books that held any ideals that the King and Queen of Auradon didn't agree with, but were too dangerous to send over to the island as trash. She figured she would find most of her answers there, but only Fairy Godmother had the key, and only certain students were allowed in. Certainly not the VKs, still testing out their goodness after three weeks, or so she imagined Fairy Godmother saying, looking for any excuse to keep her out.

It was easier to text Evie from the tables toward the back and not get noticed by the snooty librarian, easier to flip through her spell book and her remedial goodness book without anyone looking over her shoulder.

It took Evie longer to get to the library than Mal thought it would, considering that she had sent the "nine alarm fire" text. The text they had only ever used in actual emergencies, and hardly ever before. Even worse, she showed up with Doug, still in his band uniform, their hands intertwined tightly, though that wasn't the worst way she had seen them intertwined.

It was not the best of circumstances, but Mal knew she couldn't be too picky.

"What's up, Mal?" Evie asked excitedly, and judging by her mood, Doug's beaming smile and Ben's mood from earlier, the Knights must have won the game.

"I'm having a girl issue." Mal answered, pursing her lips and acting embarrassed, hoping Doug would excuse himself. Again, it wasn't necessarily a lie. "I need your help." She said, looking right at Evie.

Evie just smiled understandingly. "You know I keep an extra package of those under my bed just in case." She whispered, though no one else was there to hear them besides Doug, who she knew already knew about that "extra package" that was nearly half empty. "If you and Ben need to-"

"It's not that kind of girl problem!" Mal exclaimed loudly, not even wanting to think about what possibilities could exist after kissing with Ben and whatever Evie and Doug got up to when she wasn't around, she had already walked in on enough.

The characteristic shushing of the librarian followed and Mal gave her best excuse for an apologetic smile and a wave.

"Doug, can you give us five?" She asked as politely as she could, "Please." It wasn't a word that had been in her vocabulary often before Auradon.

"Sure." Doug answered, with a short nod. He seemed to know better than to get on any of the VK's bad side. "I'll be over in the history section, V." He told her before he let go of her hand and moved toward the other side of the library.

Evie waved to him sweetly and then took the seat next to Mal. "What the hell is going on?" She asked her in a hurried whisper, the cute, excited, happy vibe after the game dropping from her like a lead balloon. "I ran into Ben in the hall and even he thinks you're acting weird." Still, Evie sounded quite concerned. The sister she had never had, and for several years never even wanted.

Mal sighed. Everything had gone so wrong, so fast and it was all her mother's fault again. "I messed things up." She explained, not looking at Evie, but unfocusing her eyes and staring at the smiling face on the cover of the remedial goodness book, "and I don't know how to fix them." She admitted putting her head in her hands.

Evie was the only one she really trusted enough to see her true turmoil, and after the events when they were six, she could almost laugh at the irony of that statement.

"Mal?" She heard Evie ask as she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder after a few seconds of silence between them. "What did you do?" She asked, always the most understanding of the VKs.

"I promised something without realizing it and it may just cost me my life." Mal mumbled through her fingers, thinking about her idiocy and shame at how easily her mother had gotten her way, in several ways. "Not to mention I can't kiss Ben and it's getting harder to find excuses not to."

"What did you do?" Evie repeated, much softer that time, her hand a gentle pressure on Mal's shoulder, keeping her grounded there almost. "Who says you can't kiss Ben?" She continued.

"He did." Mal answered, her frustration finally eating through as she looked up from her hands at Evie. "When he serenaded me after I love spelled him." She reminded the blue haired girl, her bitterness almost tangible. "And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss? It's technically a promise and since a faerie was there it's binding." She explained, even though she knew Evie knew almost as much about magic as she did.

"Mal," Evie said gently, though Mal could read the anxiousness just under her skin, "You're half faerie." She reminded her, "Your mom never told you who your dad is." Mal knew that, but it didn't change anything. Any Faerie blood was enough to be binding. "And how is it going to kill you?" She asked, definitely not understanding the issue.

She couldn't understand. Sure, she and Doug had started off rocky too, but he had plucked up the courage to go against what he knew and what his friends were saying, and had asked her out at the spring dance a week after the coronation. From that moment on, they were nearly inseparable and Mal knew that better than anyone, sharing a room with Evie, and most of the time, Doug too.

Mal sighed again. "My mother may have goaded me into promising that she could have the kingdom over my dead body." She answered, trying not to put the blame on anyone else but herself. "Which means my first kiss just might be my last." She answered, hanging her head again, trying to focus on anything but the prickling of tears behind her closed eyes. "I don't know what to do, or how to break it." She admitted. "You know what happens as a faerie promise gets stronger."

Pain, destruction, plague, famine. Everything evil and rotten, that she thought had been fun, before Ben and dating and strawberries.

"You need to talk to Ben." Evie answered after several seconds, and Mal knew that would be her solution. "You should have talked to him about it weeks ago." She added, and Mal hated to admit that she was right. "The poor boy must think he has perma bad breath or something." She laughed, but it didn't make Mal feel any better. "We'll find a solution." She continued taking Mal's hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "But for now, talk to Ben." She repeated.

Mal knew she was right. "Thanks E." She answered, sitting up and closing her spell book with a satisfied thump. She pulled out her phone and text Ben.

It might just be the hardest conversation of her life, but it had to be done.

* * *

Ben leaned against the statue of his father, immortalized in stone when he was younger and his mother had broken the beastly spell. He didn't really see the resemblance, but everyone had always said he was a perfect mix of both of his parents, not having more features of one or the other. Mal had sent him a text and had asked to meet him there, where they had first met when she and the others had first arrived in Auradon.

He didn't know why, but he had a terrible feeling about the whole meeting. Maybe she was finally going to break up with him after nearly a month of nothing romantic due to tourney championships and Kingly duties and more meetings than he could even count in just three short weeks. She had shot him down every time he had tried to kiss her, giving him excuse after excuse and only starting to become more ridiculous as the weeks were rapidly turning into a month. There had to be a reason.

Had she ever really loved him or had she just been using him? Love spell or not, he knew his feelings, but she had never shown him, or told him hers. She had just said that he made her Happy.

Happy and Love were two very different things.

"Hey Bennyboo." Mal's voice pulled him out of his thoughts abruptly. Her tone was flat, and not at all like that nickname had been before. Though to Mal, that nickname had always been a joke, but at that moment, she didn't seem like she was joking.

He turned to see her standing several feet away, her posture scared almost, drawn into herself more than he had ever seen her before. Her face in a tight line, her eyes distracted, looking anywhere but right at him.

Something was up, as he had suspected before.

"Mal!" He said excitedly, forcing a smile onto his face, in the kingly fashion. Rule number one: never let them see your true emotions, fear especially. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming." He added, diplomatically, no excuses. She was late, and by more than just a few minutes.

"I got caught up in research." She explained, nervously, not getting too close to him. That only fed the fear that she was going to break up with him. He watched her carefully, his mind racing with anything and everything he could say to convince her otherwise. "I need to talk to you about something." She continued, not looking right at him, but past him at the statue of his father, the stone features that of a man.

"Look Mal." He continued, before she could get any more words out and quite possibly break his heart. "Whatever I did or didn't do, tell me and I'll fix it however I can. Whatever it takes." He said, forgetting about supposed rule number one. Running a kingdom and talking with your girlfriend were not the same thing. "I don't want to break up." He admitted catching her green eyes in the twilight.

Mal looked right at him, her eyes betraying her usual cool demeanor, wide in shock. "I don't want to break up either." She answered, "Though I will understand if you do after I tell you everything." He continued to stare, his thoughts going a million miles a minute. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about." She continued. "It's something else." She added, not looking at him again, but somewhere out in the rapidly darkening night.

"What's going on?" Ben asked, gently, taking a step closer to her. "What happened?" He continued, trying to get her to look at him again with those green eyes with the little gold flecks. Whoever, or whatever had caused Mal to become like that before him, he would banish it or them in an instant, just to see her smile again.

Mal took a deep breath. "How much do you know about faeries?" She asked him. That was not where he had expected the conversation to go. What did faeries have to do with anything?

Still, he answered, not wanting to scare her away, letting her explain things in her own way and time.

"They grant wishes and bestow gifts on infants," he answered, thinking about the main three faeries they had covered in History of Magical Creatures, the three that had granted the gifts to Sleeping Beauty, and the few that he had delt with in the past, her mother included. "Or curses." He added, remembering just who Mal's mother was. "Why?" He asked, wondering just what it was all about.

Mal sighed in frustration, "Typical Auradonian education, dumbing everything down and erasing most of the magic out of everything." She groaned and he was relieved to see at least the start of a scowl forming on her face. "Faeries have a thing about oaths and promises." She explained, once again gentle and scared. "We don't take them lightly, and once they're made they can't be broken until they are seen through."

Ben continued to listen intently, wondering just where Mal was going with her explanation. "We?" He asked, before he remembered that by birth she was at least part faerie. A fact everyone else seemed so quick to forget. "So what does that mean?" He rephrased, wondering just what that had to do with her sudden shift in mood. He couldn't remember making any promises to her, or anyone else.

"The thing about promises," Mal continued, her eyes meeting his briefly and then darting away again. "They don't have to be stated as promises." He could hear her voice crack and he hoped that she wasn't about to start crying. He couldn't stand that. That would just be too much and he didn't know how to fix that if she, they, were going to break things off. "If you repeat something enough, or mean it with enough intent, it becomes a promise." She took a ragged breath, and Ben wanted to reach out and hold her to him, or whatever else he could do to help.

"Mal?" Ben spoke, barely a whisper, not wanting to break her or scare her. She seemed as fragile as glass. "What happened?" He asked.

She looked right at him. "And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss." She quoted his own words to him. "You said it three times in your little serenade." She explained, "and we faeries love the number three." She looked pained and the urge reach out and touch her only built within him.

"You're only half faerie." Ben tried to remind her gently.

"It doesn't matter." Mal answered back quickly, her anger rising. "One drop of faerie blood and a promise is binding." She explained, "I've done the research Ben. There is no way out of this." She crossed her arms across her chest, as if it would create some kind of barrier between them, her eyes looking anywhere but at him, her face etched in an angry scowl, her eyes misty and he could see that.

"So if I kiss you, you get the kingdom?" Ben asked, trying to understand the whole thing, trying to pull her from the anger that he knew was rolling in her like a tempest. "That doesn't sound so bad. I would gladly give-"

Mal slammed her gloved hand over his mouth hard, shoving him into the stone fountain with a force that he might have liked if the situation wasn't so serious. "Don't you dare!" She exclaimed, clamping her hand down harder to prevent any sound from coming out. "If you pass your kingdom on to me for just one kiss, it goes to my mother until I'm twenty-two." She explained, "The legal age of faeries, but I'll be dead before then if you kiss me."

Ben tried to mumble more questions but Mal didn't let him, her hand hard against his mouth. He took her wrist gently and pulled it away. "Another promise?" He asked gently, his eyes finding hers in the darkening evening, the shine from the lights on campus showing him that tears were imminent.

He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, his hands gently resting on her hips, through several layers of fabric, and he was sure she preferred it that way.

Mal sighed again "I lost my temper with my mother and said something in anger that was most definitely a threat and an oath." Mal explained, pulling her gaze away from him again, focused on the yellow stitching on his blue shirt. "She gets the kingdom over my dead body." She continued. "If we kiss, I die and it goes to her." She broke away from him before she could say anymore, his arms falling away without any resistance, and backed further away.

She was trying to put more distance between them, make things easier for him if he wanted to end things like she had suggested. It was a pretty serious situation, but that didn't mean he wanted to end things.

The silence hung between them like a veil for several long seconds as he tried to reason out a solution. "You can't know that." He answered slowly. "You're only half faerie, so couldn't it be half the strength? A Sleeping curse, like Sleeping Beauty or Snow?" He asked, knowing it was not the time for humor or history, but it could be possible. He chose to pick the optimistic option.

He refused to believe that Mal could die from his kiss.

"Are you willing to find out?" She asked him, nearly a threat. "Because I'm not." She said. "And if that means you want to break up with me, then do what you have to do." She raised her hands in completion and began to walk away. Then she broke into a jog.

Ben's feet took a few seconds to catch up with his brain and he chased after her, pulling her to him as she struggled to get free and keep running. "Mal!" He exclaimed, turning her and pulling her close into a tight embrace, burying her face in his chest. "I'm not going to break up with you." He explained as she struggled against him, trying to push him away with a strength that he had always forgotten she had. "I'm not going to break up with you." he repeated, more gentle than before. Then she seemed to give up the struggle. "I've already fought hard enough to get you." He told her quietly, thinking of all that had happened between them since they had met and after the coronation. There was no way he was going to be the one to end things between them, not that night, not ever, if he could help it. "There are a lot more things to do in a relationship besides kiss." He continued gently before he lessened his hold on her.

Mal didn't move from his arms for quite a few long seconds. The silence between them almost torture. "You're tempting fate, Benjamin Florian." She said quietly. "Faeries like to fuck things up with mischief. They tend to interfere with promises, especially big ones that involve several people." She added, "and this is a huge one. A king, a villain and her daughter? There will be interference." She said, "I'm sure of it." She shivered and not just because of the temperature of the warm night.

"Mal." He said, as he reached out to touch her again, try and ease her fears however he could. "It's going to take a lot more than just some faerie interference to push me away." He told her, brushing his fingers across her cheek gently, "but when this promise is broken, I'm going to give you the best kiss of your life." He added with his signature smile and he could see her smile pulling at the edges of her red lips.

"Looking forward to it." She answered, her eyes still watery. "But let's get through finals first." She suggested as he took her hand and led her back toward the school. It was getting close to dinner time and someone would come looking for him soon.

"So what are your plans for summer break?" Ben asked, swinging their hands together as they walked up the path, then tension between them seemingly broken. He had planned to ask her earlier, after the game, but she had darted away before he had had the chance.

"Well the others are going back to the isle to see their parents, but my mom's here in my dorm." She explained. He already knew that. It made for some awkward commentary as they studied or watched movies, well when Doug and Evie weren't busy with other activities. "So I was just going to stay here." She answered, "Enjoy having the room to myself, watch over Dude for Carlos, and teach mother dearest about Remedial Goodness." She said with a laugh, even though it was no laughing matter.

"Come with me for the summer." Ben suggested. He couldn't stand the idea of her alone at Auradon Prep for the entire summer. He couldn't stand the idea of being apart from her until September. "My parents and I usually go to our summer castle and throw these huge lavish parties and call the kingdoms together for a council." He wasn't making it sound like a good idea and he realized that. "I could teach you how to swim, and take you on picnics. I promise no kisses until you are ready."

"That is tempting fate." Mal answered as they reached the front steps of the school. "Me in a bathing suit, you're not going to be able to contain yourself. It's going to be ridiculous." She explained, giving him a little bit of trouble with the terrible pun and his kooky actions under the power of the love spell. "And besides, I can't leave my mom here alone." She continued when Ben didn't laugh.

Ben thought about it for a long while, the front hallway giving way to the lockers and the cafeteria. "Did I mention there's a huge library where you can research to your heart's content?" He added, "My mom loves to research everything." He explained. "And being the king, if we don't have it, I can get it."

She bumped into him playfully as they walked through the doors of the cafeteria. "Playing the king card again, Bennyboo?" She asked. "Being king can't help you find a solution about my mom." She told him as they forewent the line for food and sat down at a table.

"She can stay in my room." He suggested as some of the kitchen staff brought him a tray of food. The same tray that she usually mooched from at most meals. "She can enjoy the great view from my desk." He continued. "Watch us all dance the maypole on Summer Solstice and the servants and maids have secret trysts at night when the weather gets too hot to couple inside."

He laughed as Mal blushed, as she always tended to with anything romantic, or vaguely sexual. "My mom is not living on your desk for an entire summer." She tried to stay serious, but he knew he had caused some sort of reaction with his words. "You do not need her negativity in your ear all day and night." She added.

"Mal Bertha," Ben began seriously, "Are you going against your king's rule?" He asked, "because if you are, I might just have to sentence you to a summer locked in my library studying nothing but remedial goodness."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Oh the horror." She answered, stealing a fry from his tray as he expected she would. "Fine, I'll go with you." She agreed, after a few seconds of deliberation, "but my mother is not staying in your room." She compromised.

"We'll figure something out." Ben answered with a smile as the others joined them. "We just have to get through finals." He finally had something to look forward to, though after the hell that would be finals week.


	2. Chapter 2

Finals were in full swing over the next week and Mal was thankful. She never thought she would be evil enough to be thankful for finals, but she was. Both she and Ben were busy with finals and his kingly duties and finding time alone together was getting more difficult, though that was probably a good thing with the promises hanging over them. Still, she had Evie and Jay and Carlos, and they all had to study for remedial goodness anyway.

Choosing good and being good enough to pass remedial goodness were two very different things. Fairy Godmother liked to throw in some difficult questions and trick questions. Still, Mal and the others were hanging in, quizzing each other as much as they could through the week. The threat of having to repeat the course over the summer was enough to make them study harder than they ever had before in Dragon Hall. It led to a lot of late nights with the others from the isle and Dude, or course, who had taken to never leaving Carlos' side.

And a lot of surprisingly deep conversations.

Evie had invited Mal back to go back with them, but she had declined, telling them of her plans with Ben. That had revealed the whole promise situation and each of them had their own views on it as they sat around the table in Carlos and Jay's room, their remedial goodness books open and their notes littering the table.

"True love's kiss has to break it." Evie explained, "A first kiss can break any curse or spell. Look at my step sister Snow, or Aurora, or or-" she had run out of examples.

"Last I checked that didn't work on Villains." Mal answered, pouring over her notes "and a kiss is exactly what we're trying to avoid, but nice try, E." She was trying not to be too harsh on any of them. She knew they were just trying to help.

"If faeries are anything like djinn, there has to be a loophole somewhere." Jay explained, "Something that can grant the oath, but not fulfill it."

"I doubt it." Mal answered, pulling the half chewed pencil from her lips, "Faeries are tricky, and the only way the three could prevent my mother from killing Aurora with the curse was magic to block it, but she did eventually prick her finger on the spinning wheel and go into a hundred years of sleep." So history of the kingdoms was helping more than she wanted to admit.

"How exactly would you take Ben's kingdom from him?" Carlos piped up, scratching Dude under the table. "Would he become the beastly creature like his dad?" He asked, shivering, he was fine with Dude, but any other larger animals he still remained skittish. Horseriding in Phys Ed had nearly sent him into hysterics, or so Mal had heard from the others.

Mal snorted, Ben was already beast enough. The way he toweled off after tourney games, choosing to shake his hair out, his howls of victory when they scored goals, and even the way he curled up to sleep the few times she had seen him asleep after late nights at kingdom meetings. "If my mother gets her way, and her power is restored, she'd turn him into a beast with an unbearable curse." She reasoned, not putting it past her mother to ruin everything, if given the chance. "There has to be some research somewhere." she continued, dropping her pencil and closing the Remedial goodness book.

"Should I use the mirror?" Evie asked, "See what we can find before we leave for the summer?" She continued, but Mal shook her head. If there was any way to find it with the mirror, it wouldn't be easy to get to, before or after finals. "We won't be able to communicate when we're on the isle." She reminded them.

"Actually," Mal answered, "I'm trying to convince Ben to take a tour of the isle to improve some things over there." She explained. "So we'll hopefully be there for a few weeks, so if you can find me whatever you can, I'll pick it up sometime over the summer." She explained. She looked to Evie. "And yes, I will try and bring Doug." She answered the unasked question.

"We should probably all pass Remedial Goodness first." Jay brought them all back to the reality of the late night cram session and their impending final in the morning.

Then they returned to the questions, rapid fire style.

* * *

Mal stared at her Remedial Goodness book, her eyes nearly unable to focus after the long night of going against her instincts. Remedial Goodness meant going against everything she had learned for as long as she could remember. It was like training a cat to bark.

She sighed and let her head smack against the hard cover. She had no idea how she was going to pass, and after all the talking she had done with Ben about summer plans, she wasn't about to take Remedial Goodness over again.

"Beware, Forswear-" she started tiredly, not even awake enough to finish a spell to help her remember, or even just one to wake her up.

"You can't learn it by osmosis." A familiar voice greeted her from the doorway. She looked up to see Ben standing there, a drink holder and a small paper bag in his grip as he leaned against the door, a smile on his face.

"Ben!" Mal exclaimed with a little smile, happier than she had been since finals started. "Don't you have a final this morning?" She asked him, she was sure she had memorized his schedule in an effort to avoid him when he was spelled and all she had wanted was the wand.

"I did." Ben answered, "But kingly duties and emergency finance meetings take precedence over a history final apparently." He entered and leaned next to Mal, setting the little paper bag and one of the drinks in front of her. She looked to him for an explanation. "I figured that since I couldn't give you a kiss for luck, or at all, I would bring you breakfast and an espresso, so you can keep your eyes open during your Remedial Goodness final."

Mal eyed the espresso suspiciously. She hadn't really had any espresso that she hadn't made herself since she was off the isle. She was leery of any gifts from anyone after fifteen and a half years on the isle. Especially after the promises that had been made.

Ben pushed it toward her. "A king offers you a pep talk, an espresso, and a strawberry croissant, do you: A) take it and thank your king, B) ignore it and go to your final tired and hungry or C) Share it and let your king assure you that you will pass?"

Mal smiled, she had had enough of multiple choice questions, but Ben was just so cute with his little smile and his obvious crown hair. "Tough choice." She told him with a small grin as she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to make it look at least a little better, though it usually didn't help, "But I am going to go with C."

"Great choice." He answered, pulling the strawberry croissant out of the bag and splitting it in half. It was still warm from the kitchen and Mal moaned in delight as the warm buttery goodness hit her lips. "Never thought I would want to be a strawberry croissant." He laughed after he swallowed his first bite and she felt her cheeks pink up as her eyes met his. "You've got a little-" he tried to indicate where, but instead leaned forward and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.

From there, it seemed like time had frozen. Mal stared at Ben and he stared back, her heart beating hard in her ears. Then Ben leaned in closer and she leaned closer to him. So close she could practically feel the heat of his skin against hers. Then reality hit hard and she shoved him away harder, knocking him onto his back.

"I have to go." She said standing up and taking the coffee with her, feeling bad that she had shoved him to the floor so harshly. "Thanks for this!" She shouted from the hall as she ran for the stairs, not giving him any more time to think about kissing her, or punishing her for her violence against him.

Not that he would.

"Hey Mal!" She heard him call from the hallway outside her room and she turned back, nervously. "I believe in you." He told her with a smile.

"Thanks Ben!" She shouted back, "I'm just picking the most boring answer." She admitted before she was down the stairs in a hurry.

"Just think: What would Ben do?" He answered back, following her out to his own final. She knew she would see him at lunch and then after school when the car would take them to the summer castle. After that, all bets were off.

* * *

Fairy Godmother waited until all of their exams were in before she graded them. Since there was only four of them in the class, she deemed it better for them to all wait and know right away rather than not find out until the other grades came out weeks later. Mal had handed her exam in first, not as confident as she would have liked, and had been doodling on a spare sheet of scratch paper, definitely a first for her, on both fronts. She wasn't really big into sketching on paper, but it did ease her nerves as she waited, not sure whether the espresso or the nerves were making her more jittery.

Carlos turned in his exam last. Then it became a waiting game for the four of them. Mal kept trying to sketch, a dark mess of jagged lines and harsh shapes, but the tension in the air threatened to choke her, the anxiety made it easier for her to gnaw on her pencil rather than draw with it.

Fairy Godmother passed them back in the reverse order that she had received them, meaning out of the four of them, Mal was last to receive her score.

Carlos lept up from his chair in joy.

Evie stared at her paper with the same look she gave Doug most of the time and squealed.

Jay threw his fist into the air, as he did when he scored a goal in Tourney.

They had all passed. And they had all left together, most likely waiting outside for her.

Fairy Godmother handed her her exam face down and Mal took it with a shaking hand. She turned it over and saw 100% written in pink swirly handwriting.

"Great job, Mal." She told her with a smile. "I wouldn't expect any less from a future queen." She continued.

"What?" Mal asked, looking up from her perfect exam. "What did you say?" She asked.

"You're going with King Ben to the summer castle." Fairy Godmother spoke, quite pleased that all of her students had passed, probably. "Not only has no one outside the royal family been there as the King's personal guest, but that is where Former King Adam proposed to his queen." She explained. "I do hope you remember that for your history exam." She added before she moved back to her desk, ready for the next class.

Proposal? Mal balked at that. It had barely been a month since the coronation and less than that since she and Ben had officially started dating. They hadn't even kissed yet. Then an idea struck Mal.

"Fairy Godmother?" She asked, standing from her desk and moving toward Fairy Godmother shuffling through the finals she had yet to grade. "May I ask you a magic question?" She hoped she would say yes.

"You're not trying to get the answers for the theoretical magic final?" Fairy Godmother asked and when Mal shook her head, Fairy Godmother pressed her to continue.

"What do you know about breaking faerie oaths?" She asked, hoping she would have more answers, having more experience with magic "Specifically ones involving first kisses?" She added, wanting the most specific answer.

It was Fairy Godmother's turn to balk. "Faerie oaths are nearly unbreakable." She answered. "Add in a first kiss and it's nearly impossible." She continued, and then she watched Mal's face fall. "What has your mother done now?" She asked.

"Nothing yet." Mal answered a little too quickly. "Ben," she started, "King Ben," she corrected in front of everyone else in the kingdom, he was King Ben, but he had asked her to avoid the titles when they were alone. "unknowingly oathed his kingdom for a kiss from me, in song, during a tourney game while under a love spell." She admitted, though she was sure even the faculty knew at that point. All the students knew about his spectacle.

"And since you are underage, it would go to your mother." Fairy Godmother responded, already knowing all about magic and promises, Mal guessed. "We can't have that." She reasoned. "I'll contact my colleagues in the magical council, but in the meantime, don't kiss anyone. The first kiss is a special thing, possibly more so coming from a villain's child who has never known love before now."

Mal already knew that. She didn't have the heart to the Fairy Godmother about the other oath intertwined with it. Either way, she wasn't about to kiss Ben anytime soon. Even though they were about to spend an entire summer together and they had already had a few close calls.

It was still a waiting game, but at least she didn't have to retake Remedial Goodness.

* * *

When Mal left the remedial goodness classroom she expected to find the other three there waiting for her to compare answers, each of them ready to brag that they got the highest score. When she found Ben instead, she couldn't hide her shock and the fear that he might try and kiss her again.

"I'll be good, I promise." Ben told her, holding his palms out to face her as a sign of no danger. "Though I have to say it's really disheartening to see such a terrified face on the daughter of the most terrifying villain in history." That made her smile. "Even worse that the face is on my girlfriend." He added.

That makes Mal lighten up a bit as they walk to the cafeteria. "Whatever happened to 'We aren't our parents?'" She asked him as she took his hand in hers. "And don't underestimate me." She continued, hitting his chest gently with the back of her free hand. "I could get a shock collar for you."

He laughed, still in good spirits after nearly a full week of finals. "Threatening the King again?" He asked, in fake surprise. "What am I going to do with you Mal Bertha?" He whispered to her seductively, pulling her closer to him still.

"Anything you want," she said, the possibilities not lost on her, the urges of a teenage girl hidden well behind a cool exterior, the same one her mother had perfected. "besides kiss me." She answered.

Ben laughed as they entered the cafeteria and moved to join Evie and Doug and Jay and Carlos at a table. "What is defined as a kiss?" He asked her, "Lip contact anywhere, or..?" He trailed off, his fingers grazing the exposed skin on her neck as he whispered in her ear, making her mind whir with all of the possibilities yet again.

He was close enough that if she turned just slightly it could be considered an accidental kiss. She couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk anything. "I guess we'll find out later." Mal answered as they joined the others, passing just out of his grip.

"How did the remedial goodness final go for you?" Carlos asked as Ben and Mal sat. "I got a 98 and Jay is sulking since he only got a 92." He explained.

"The stroller question threw me." Jay explained, his mouth full of a medley of whatever lunch was that day. Mal knew he definitely was sulking. "You would go in search of the parents, right?" He asked Mal. "We all picked different answers." He explained. "Please tell me you missed that one too." He begged.

Mal shook her head. "You wouldn't leave the baby alone." She explained, stealing a baby carrot from the tray that Ben had been brought. He had never complained and the Auradonian food didn't always appease her palate so she usually picked from whatever the servants brought him. "And you can't leave it with the woodland creatures in the rain because it can catch a cold" She clarified, once the carrot was chewed enough for her to speak clearly. "So take it under your care until someone comes looking is the correct answer, even though that is technically a villain answer too. " She concluded.

"Frollo and Gothel would be proud you thought of them." Jay spoke with a deadpan eye roll. "So what did you get, Miss Smartypants?" He asked.

"Oh Jay," Mal sighed, giving him an evil smirk "you can do better than that." She answered, as she gave him a glare. "Evie has burned me harder with "your mama" battles." It was her way of making him feel better, or trying to. "Give me your worst." She instructed, beckoning the terrible nicknames from him with her fingers.

"You horrible, deceptive, boyfriend stealing faerie bitch." He growled, screwing up his face in anger, and Mal just laughed, holding Ben down where he sat.

That was one thing Ben and Doug had yet to get used to and Mal knew it. Even after weeks, their impromptu name calling and your mama battles, Ben still stiffened when one of the others had insulted her. "You got a rise out of Ben." Mal answered, and the rest of them laughed, Doug included, "but I've heard much better from Dude, you no brained soul stealing son of a whore."

That did seem to pep Jay up a bit. "What did you get, Lady Spawn of the she-devil?" He asked her. "There's no way you got higher than the rest of us with a mouth like that."

"One hundred percent." She told them all, a little embarrassed, as she avoided their eyes and especially Ben's. She felt like a traitor for passing the exam with a perfect score, for being a perfect princess as the girls of Auradon were expected to be. "Though I just picked whatever Bennyboo would." She explained with a small nudge into Ben.

"You keep calling me Bennyboo in front of your friends and I'll show you how evil I can be." He answered leaning into her more and making her heartbeat loud in her ears. That got cheers from the rest of their friends seated at the table and they laughed as she felt her cheeks grow warm.

She knew he wasn't mad, she had yet to see him furious and from what she had heard about the beast his father used to be, that was probably a good thing.

"Scared your reputation would be ruined if your kingdom only knew you as Bennyboo? Or would you prefer King Benny Foo Foo?" Mal asked back, leaning back into him, never one to back away from any kind of battle.

"Don't test me, Mal Bertha." He growled at her, his smile more wicked than cute for the first time ever, and that only made her want to kiss him more. He was normally cute, but with the wicked grin, he was nearly irresistible.

"Where have you been hiding?" Mal answered with a wicked smile, and stroking his cheek. "I could get used to this." She added, then she realized the look in his eyes "and we have definitely been rubbing off on you." She added, turning her attention back to the rest of them, much too close to kissing distance for comfort. "So what finals does everybody have left?" She asked them, changing the subject.

Evie and Doug had chemistry. Carlos and Jay had Phys Ed. Ben was supposed to have Phys Ed too, but due to his morning meeting, he had to retake his history exam.

"I've got history too." Mal answered. "But something tells me you worked that out to your favor."

"Being King does have its perks." Ben explained and the rest of them laughed.

"Hey," Evie began before they all began to separate to get in line for their lunches. "Can we all have a movie night after finals are over?" She asked. "Or does everybody have to dart off?"

Mal looked to Ben, hoping he would agree. It would be a good idea to have time to just relax before they had to rush off to meet his parents. "We can leave a little later." Ben decided. "It's not like we have to leave with my parents. We can take a car."

Doug shrugged. "My dad and uncles aren't picking my up until tomorrow." He explained, "So I'm free too."

"Great!" Evie squealed. "Mine and Mal's room as soon as you are free from finals." Then she looked to Jay and Carlos, seeming to remember they had Phys Ed "And after you've showered." She told the two of them.

After that they all fell into comfortable chatting about anything and everything but finals.

The bell rang before any of them were ready for it. And as they all stood to leave, Evie pulled Mal aside. "M?" Evie asked, "Bathroom break?" She suggested holding up her make up bag.

Mal knew she looked atrocious, it was finals and everyone looked like the walking dead, well besides Evie. But Mal also somehow knew it was a cover for another kind of conversation, one that they couldn't have with the boys listening. She let go of Ben's hand and followed Evie to the nearest ladies room.

As soon as they entered, Evie made sure it was completely vacant, then locked the door. "E?" Mal asked, "What's going on?"

"Ben has been spelled." Evie answered, pulling out her make up brushes anyway and beginning to work on Mal's cheeks anyway. "A lust spell by the looks of it and so have you." She continued, blending the colors to expert level on Mal's cheeks. "Do you want me to find the antidote?" She asked.

"No," Mal answered, more calm and cool than she expected herself to be at the news that Ben had been spelled (again) and not by her. "I'll take care of it." She answered.


	3. Chapter 3

Mal tapped her pencil on her desk nervously waiting for the instructor to pass out the history exam. They all knew it was going to be an essay, but the prompt was a mystery. Mal hated essays, but so did everyone else. That wasn't the only thing she was nervous about. Ben was sitting three seats behind her, still under another love/lust spell. Not only that, but Audrey was sitting next to him, practically drooling.

But Audrey was a potential problem for another time. First, the history exam, the last final of the semester. Then everything else.

Mal held her breath as the teacher placed the exam on her desk. She hoped it would be an easy prompt, or somethings she could BS her way through. She tore into it with another deep breath.

 _In a well written, in depth essay: Describe the economical and historical effects that resulted from Prince Adam's transformation from the beast and the changes that followed on the Seven Kingdoms. Provide several specific examples._

Mal wanted to laugh. If the prompt were any easier, it would be too easy. Mal had never been so thankful to hear Ben drone on and on about his dad and his rule and all the boring meetings he had to go to once he was crowned king and the changes he was planning to make.

Not only that, but as a VK she knew all about life on the isle and the "precautions" that he had placed to keep them living in squalor. Tossing the hand me downs and spoiled food to them to just barely keep them alive, keeping the barrier strong, caging them like animals to protect those deemed most worthy of the royal court. Prince, and later King Adam was once the villain of his own story, but the history books would never paint him that way.

Mal tried to keep her essay civil, just the facts, but she was sure that some of her personal feelings entered her essay. The two hours they had to do their essay flew by in a flurry of words. Before she knew it, the instructor was telling them to pass their papers to the front.

She figured Ben would be out before her, since he was sitting closer to the back, but somehow she beat him out into the hallway. She knew she could just go up to her dorm and meet him there with the rest of them, but she wanted to wait, really see the effects the spell had over him before she allowed him to be around the others. She leaned against the far wall, empty of any blemishes and for the first time in months, she wished for a can of spray paint.

She watched as all the other students filed out into the hall, going their separate ways and chattering about the exam. She blinked in surprise when Audrey stopped in front of her, a scowl darkening her usually pretty face.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing." Audrey threatened. "It's cruel to keep him under a love spell, and you of all people should know that."

Mal just stared for a few long seconds. "What are you talking about?" She said, "Ben isn't under the love spell." She lied, knowing it was better than going into a long in depth explanation of what was really going on. "And what do you mean I of all people should know?" She asked.

"Ask your mother, everyone else already knows." Audrey spit out, "And leave Ben out of it." She said before she stomped off and left Mal standing alone with her thoughts and still waiting for Ben.

Leave Ben out of what?

Ben came out a minute or two later and instantly spotted Mal, not a hard feat with her violently violet hair. He joined her in the nearly empty hallway. "Have I told you how radiant your hair looks under the fluorescent lights?" He asked her with his signature cheesy smile as he linked arms with her. "Have I also told you that I know whenever I'm being spelled?" He added, his tone changed, darker somehow as he pushed her into an empty classroom and locked the door. "And I hate that I can do nothing about it." He added, backing her up into one of the desks, his eyes holding the same brand of mischief as before, his hands practically burning her like fire.

Mal could hear her heart beating loudly in her chest, as Ben rushed her, his hands wrapping around her hips and sliding up her sides, his lips getting that much closer to hers. "Ben" she whispered, unsure of her voice for the first time in a long while. "Ben." She tried a little louder, trying to get his attention as his hands roamed her skin and his lips threatened to do the same. "Ben stop!" She shouted when he didn't seem to hear her before. She wasn't sure which hurt more, the desk at her back or his hands unable to obey.

"Come on Mal," he whispered seductively in her ear, his hands finding the bare skin of her hips and snaking under her shirt. "We have hours before we have to leave for the summer palace. You've kept me waiting for weeks." He said with a whine. "It's just one kiss." He whispered, his lips close to her neck, the heat of his breath and the closeness making her shiver, his hands against the bare skin of her hips and climbing higher igniting a fire in her bloodstream.

It was all too much at once. Something clicked inside of her and the heel of her hand flew to his face, coming in contact with his nose and producing a loud crack, sending him stumbling backwards. Before she could fully grasp what she was doing she had her knee in his back, one arm pinned behind him and the other pinned below him, his face and his dangerous lips forced into the carpet, his most likely broken nose staining the expensive fibers.

That seemed to wake him up. "Mal? What the hell happened?" He asked, struggling slightly against her, his voice heavy with the blood he swallowed and the carpet fibers.

"You're spelled." She explained, "Pretty powerful too." She continued, easing some of the weight off of him and letting go of the arm she held back. "It's a strong one and I'm not sure how to break it yet." She stayed, pinning him down with half her weight for several long silent seconds, giving him time to take it all in. "I need you to close your eyes." She instructed, thinking about what she had done and how he had ended up in the carpet.

"Why?" Ben asked, the frustration evident in his voice, thick with the sound of a broken nose. She had him pinned in a way that he couldn't escape on his own and she was sure that frustrated him too.

"I need to fix your nose, but I don't want to be attacked again." She said bluntly, straight to the point. "I'm not totally sure, but it seems to be when you see me, you go full caveman." Even that made her laugh a dry laugh.

She could feel Ben sigh beneath her after a few long seconds of waiting. "My eyes are closed." He told her, "And when I find whoever spelled me, they are getting the stocks."

Mal laughed at that, a welcome relief from the anger she expected from him. "Going medieval?" She asked as she shifted some of her weight and rolled him over. She kept him secured under her, with a knee to his chest. "If you open your eyes, Benjamin Florian, I will put you in the stocks." She threatened, trying to keep her tone balanced. He was a gruesome bloody mess, his blood covering his face and cheeks and her hands. It was brutal, like a murder scene almost.

She put one hand on his forehead and the other on his nose. She knew she could magic it, and it would come out perfect, but she kind of liked the idea of Ben not looking so perfect. She took a deep breath and popped it back into place with a loud snap.

"Ow, fuck!" Ben blurted out and that made Mal giggle.

"The mouth on you!" Mal exclaimed in mock shock. "What would the kingdom think if they knew their King was such a potty mouth?" She asked.

"They'd think his girlfriend was a bad influence." Ben answered with a signature smile before he winced. "Hey Mal?" He asked after a few short seconds of silence, his eyes still closed. "Can you explain what I did to make you so violent?" He asked.

"Do you remember our first date?" Mal asked him, having no doubts that he would. "What I said about why we don't date much on the island?" She continued a little quieter, it wasn't something that she or the others liked to share.

"It was more like gang activity." He answered, quoting her nearly directly. Then the realization seemed to hit him and hard. "Mal, did I-?" He asked, "Were you ever-?" He rephrased.

Mal stood up and took his hand to help him to his feet. "Not me or anyone close to me." She answered, "but others." She explained quietly. "That's the difference between Auradon and the island." She continued. "There, girls are taught to run like hell and not fight back. Here, I bet it's nothing like that." She guessed.

"First kisses will lead to other firsts." Ben quoted flatly, and Mal had no doubts that was as far as their education on adult matters went. "Mal, I had no idea." He continued, trying to sit up from under her, or at least get an arm free "but I will fix it." He said.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She warned. They were in the mess they were in because of too many wayward promises.

"I'm serious." Ben answered. "As King I want to improve things my father put in place. It's my duty." He reminded her, closing his hand around hers with a tight grip.

"Let's break this lust spell first." Mal suggested, pulling him toward the door and out of the classroom once she determined there was no one hanging around in the hallways. "I don't think I'm going to like being your seeing eye dog forever." She said flatly, leading him toward the dorms, her eyes scanning for any other students of faculty, her mind trying to find a good excuse.

"Hey Mal?" Ben asked again, several minutes later, as they walked across the campus under the warm mid-afternoon sun. "I've kissed you before. Your hand on the way to to coronation." He reminded her.

"That was before you were king." She explained, having already given it a lot of thought over the weeks before he knew anything about it. "It wasn't your kingdom to give at that time." She said, dragging him into the shadows of the aged building.

"So what is the definition of a kiss?" Ben wondered for the second time. "Would it be just lip to lip contact, or lip contact anywhere?" He was starting to overthink things and they had already had that conversation before, whether he remembered it or not.

"I don't know." Mal answered exasperated, "but I need you to open your eyes and navigate the steps." She said, as they reached the staircase in the dorms, luckily not running into any other students yet. "I'll be right behind you." She told him, still keeping his hand in hers.

"I'm sorry." He said as he opened his eyes and began to ascend the stairs, gripping her hand gently, even though he couldn't look at her. "If I hadn't promised my kingdom for just a kiss we wouldn't be in this situation."

Mal shrugged, apologies couldn't make it all better. "I'm sure Audrey's a better kisser anyway." She said before she even thought about it. Both she and Ben had reached her floor and she could see him stop. She was sure he was about to turn back. She let out a relieved sigh when he didn't. It was easier to try and forget the bloody mess that was his face if he wasn't looking at her.

"Audrey and I never kissed." He admitted quietly. "It wasn't really a relationship like ours." He continued. "Our parents set us up from birth. I would get the crown, but her parents would be part of the royal family when Audrey and I-" he stopped.

"Married?" Mal finished for him and he nodded slowly. "Well my love spell must have ruined that plan." She laughed, taking a little satisfaction from ruining the plans of Sleeping Beauty's daughter. Perhaps history did repeat himself. "I stole her Bennyboo." She laughed before he turned to face her, his eyes closed, his face bloody and starting to swell.

"It wasn't anything you did." Ben explained softly, moving his hand to try and pull her closer as they reached the door to the dorm that she and Evie shared. "It wasn't working out between Audrey and I." He continued. "Even before the love spell, you intrigued me." He admitted as she turned the handle to find it locked.

"Keep your eyes closed." She instructed as she searched for her dorm room key. "We're the first ones back." She explained, unlocking the door. "You can clean yourself up in our bathroom." She told him once she pushed the door open and led him inside. "You won't be photo perfect for a few weeks though." She explained with a half smile.

She turned him toward the bathroom and gave him a gentle push, sighing as soon as he disappeared. She sat on her bed and waited for the others as she heard the sink start running. She was tempted to go help him, but instead began to flip through her mother's spell book looking for any kind of answer, or a spell that could overpower the spell Ben already had over him. She jumped as she saw something fly past her bed and land on the floor. She laughed when she realized it was Ben's tie and then his jacket, followed by his button up shirt.

"What are you doing?" Mal asked him, her eyes focused on the large blood drops on his white shirt, crumpled on the floor. Could it be another effect of the lust spell over him? Was he trying to tempt her into other things besides kiss?

"I have to do something to distract from my black eyes." He answered, his voice muffled by the faucet and what sounded like a washcloth.

That made her laugh, apparently things weren't as bad as they seemed. "Your plan is to distract my friends by getting naked?" She asked. "You are definitely evil" She continued, her tone flat, her attention only half on her spell book, more on the possibility of what could come flying out of the bathroom next.

"Mal?" His voice came closer, minutes later, making her jump. She looked to see his eyes closed, his perfect bare chest hard to avoid. "What are we going to do around the others?" He asked, putting his hands out to try and find her.

She took his hand and pulled him to her bed, and into a sitting position. "Tell them the truth?" Mal suggested. "Evie already knew." She explained, tracing a design or two on his palm. "So did Audrey apparently." She added, pausing briefly to lean into him. As long as his eyes were closed, she was safe from any attempts.

She relaxed into him as she felt his hand wrap around her protectively. "How are we going to break it?" He asked after several seconds of silence. "Can we break it?" He asked and she didn't miss the subtle fear in his voice.

Mal didn't know how to answer right away. She continued to trace the lines on his hands gently. "Delicate hands." she told him, absentmindedly. "Yet your fingers are calloused." She continued, grazing over those gently. "You play a stringed instrument?" She guessed.

"Twelve and a half years of violin." He answered.

Mal snuggled into him further. "You took twelve and a half years of violin." Mal voiced, "I imagine you're pretty good." She guessed and he nodded. "My mother taught me dark magic theory before I could talk. I am excellent." She explained. "If anyone can find an answer it's me." She assured him. She gripped his hand tightly and then continued, realizing she hadn't answered him. "I can do small spells to block the effects of the lust spell, but until it's broken or we find the counter spell we're stuck." She explained.

"I'm willing to try anything." Ben admitted. "As long as I can still see you." He paused and then rephrased. "Just don't turn me into an animal." He pleaded.

"Turn him into a puppy, like the beast his father once was." A small voice came from the corner, "Tell him Maleficent sends her regards." Mal stood from the bed and moved over to the desk, picking up her mother's cage and taking it into the bathroom, her rage starting to surge through her like electricity.

Ben opened his eyes for a brief moment while Mal was away. His brain was clear for several seconds and he tried to decide what to do next, if he could do anything to counter the spell himself. He leaned back and his hand found the leather binding of Mal's spell book, but before he could even think to pick it up, she returned.

"We are not doing that." Mal voiced, shutting the bathroom door and looking over to Ben, who looked back at her. "Close your eyes!" She shouted, terrified and turning toward the widows. When he didn't pounce, she turned back and found his eyes closed.

"You don't have to be scared of me, Mal." He told her gently, and she could feel the genuineness in his voice, the gentleness of the innocent king half naked on her bed. "I would never treat you like the others on the island." He went on.

"You don't know what you'll do under a lust spell." She countered, trying to stay rational. "Need I remind you of 'my love for you is ridiculous'?" She asked.

"You spelled me with a cookie." Ben defended, "And it was delicious." There was a silence between them as Mal took her seat on the bed again "Are there other ways someone can be spelled?" He asked.

"Tons." Mal answered. "But for a longer lasting spell, you want something that is either used daily, like soaps or lotions, or something that lasts a long time, like food." She explained. "Something quick, a scent, or a pin prick." She stayed quiet for a long while. "A love or lust spell you would want to last for a long while. What did you eat today?" She asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He explained. "Just what the royal cooks brought me. And half of the strawberry croissant I brought you."

"Where did you get it?" Mal asked him, leaning back on the bed and closer to Ben. "Did a stranger offer it to you, promising that it would solve all your problems or something?" She asked, hoping it would be that easy, but knowing that he wouldn't be that naive and take food from strangers. Would he?

"I asked the kitchen staff to make it." Ben answered, "I thought it would cheer you up before finals." He explained. "But you ate half," he continued. "Shouldn't you be all handsy and weird too?" He asked.

Mal let out a short laugh. "I don't get handsy and weird." She told him. "I am as cool as a cucumber." She continued, stealing another one of his cutesy phrases. "It's powerful magic," she explained. "It needs a target and a pursuer, like the love spell did. The only one to really master it was my mother and-"

She hopped up from the bed and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her hard. "What did you do?" She shouted, "How did you do it?!" She continued to shout at what Ben imagined was the cage that held her mother. "Tell me how to break it, or I will shake the magic out of you!"

Ben's eyes popped open at the sound of the door to the hallway opening. There he saw Evie and Doug, looking quite shocked. He realized why as his shirt and jacket currently resided on the floor and his eyes were probably swelling to the size of tennis balls, if not larger.

"The yelling at her mother, I'm used to," Evie explained, looking from Ben to the bathroom door and back "Half naked, bloodied up King, I could get used to." She teased and even Doug laughed. "What did we miss?" She asked.

Then Ben tried to explain, but didn't really do it any justice. Minutes later, Mal exited the bathroom looking quite frazzled for fighting with a small reptile.

"Aww sweetie." Evie cooed at Mal's less than pristine state, and rushing forward to her "Did the horns have to come out?" She asked, trying to smooth Mal's hair. Doug made small talk with Ben, mostly about finals, as he kept his eyes from Mal. "And what happened to poor Ben?"

"Long story." Mal explained, panting slightly, "but I know who cast the lust spell." She revealed. "And I know how to break it." She revealed.


	4. Chapter 4

The hallways were deserted, which was strange for the early afternoon. The kitchens even more deserted since most students had left immediately after the last final. Evie, Jay and Carlos led Ben ahead of Mal while she carried most of the supplies. Doug watched the door, even though it wasn't like they were going to get in trouble, not with finals being over and with King Ben among them.

Not that he looked much like the painted portraits and the photos of him all over the school, his eyes nearly swollen shut, dark purple rings, nearly as dark as Mal's hair completing the look. Mal had tried to apologize several times, but Ben wouldn't hear it. She had just been defending herself from the lust spell.

"Carlos!" Mal called him, as she set the ingredients out over the large countertop "Find a frozen bag of peas or something to take down the swelling." She instructed, trying not to visible wince as Carlos sat Ben down on the stool across the counter. "Jay, dry ingredients." She instructed, "Flour, sugar, cinnamon and ginger." She turned to Evie, "Wet ingredients, eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla extract." She turned to Ben again, "Favorite bakery treat ever?" She asked him. "One you would give the entire reign of the seven kingdoms over for." She continued.

"Your lips?" He suggested, "Sorry, ridiculous joke." He amended and that even made her giggle a bit. "Mrs. Potts used to make these amazing tea cookies with powdered sugar and little cherries."

"Jay?" Mal called.

"Powdered sugar." He answered, "Got it!"

"Evie?" Mal called.

"Cherries, and Mrs. Potts recipe, headed your way." She answered from the fridge.

Mal turned to her spell book. The book held open to the spell she needed with a ladle. It was a long shot, since it wasn't necessarily the exact reversal spell, but she hoped it would work. Intent was everything, she knew that, and Ben sitting on the bench, facing mostly away from her was almost painful.

"What's it like being a King?" Carlos asked Ben as he placed a bag of frozen peas over the bridge of Ben's nose. "Do you get to do a lot of cool stuff?"

"It's mostly boring so far." Ben admitted and Mal looked up from the recipe, her finger holding her place. "Zoning meetings, villager concerns, and a ton of budget meetings." He smiled after that and even Mal couldn't miss it. "It kind of sucks, especially when all you want to do is cuddle up with your girlfriend and watch cheesy movie musicals after finals."

"Soon." Mal answered, looking up from the spell and the recipe with a small smile. He had remembered her not so secret love of movie musicals. "Though I think you should go to the summer palace without me for a few weeks." She added, measuring the dry ingredients to start out.

"No way." He answered, "I'm not leaving you here alone with your salamander mother."

"I won't be staying here," Mal admitted, stealing a peek to Evie, Jay and Carlos. They would be fine with her tagging along, right? "I'm going to try and find my father." She explained. "My mother still refuses to give me a name."

"Even more of a reason I'm not going to let you go alone." Ben answered. "You could use my help." He admitted.

"Bennyboo." Mal cut him off before he could go any further, her tone dry. "No offense, but I've been able to handle myself since I was three." She explained, "I don't need you to protect me on my own turf. And besides, a king does not belong in the slums. How will they get along without you at all of the budget meetings and what will the peasants do without their great ruler?"

"Mal-" Ben tried to reason with her, but she cut him off.

"What if the spell doesn't break?" Mal asked, over pouring the milk in the measuring cup, "Are you going to spend the entire summer with your eyes closed, or so drunk on glamour spells that you can't think straight? No way." She answered, dumping the milk in a little too quickly and lifting her spell book out of the way of the puddle that was running to the floor.

"Mal!" Ben shouted, effectively shutting her up. She and the others froze, never hearing that tone from him before. "Stop trying to push me away, please." He said, returning to his calm demeanor. "I understand you're scared about everything that's going on, everything that could happen. I am too." He admitted. "But you don't have to push me away." He sighed, "I made mistakes while love drunk, and I'm sorry. I'm just so ridiculous for you, Mal." He said gently.

"No, I'm ridiculous for you, Ben." She answered with a small smile. "And I'll think about it." She decided.

* * *

Ben was sure he had fallen asleep, and that he had fallen asleep with a smile on his face. They hadn't officially said the usual three words since the coronation, especially since he had messed them up so bad under the love spell, but the intent was there when he told her little phrases like "I'm ridiculous for you." That was the first time she had said anything like that back. And then he was sure he had fallen asleep, not too long after. Idiot!

He practically jumped awake when he felt the cold chill of the melting ice slide down his cheek. He kept his eyes closed tight, as the half melted bag of frozen peas was lifted from his face, just in case.

"Mal?" He asked, unsure where to look, or not look.

"Open your mouth." She told him close by, her hand on his shoulder, her presence quite close, her hips brushing against his knees as he sat on the stool. He followed her instruction, not needing to be told twice. "This is the tester." She explained, pushing the small sugared cookie into his mouth, his lips catching her fingers just slightly, he was sure leaving a ring of powdered sugar around his lips.

He had more concerns at the moment than powdered sugar though, and he tried not to think of them as he chewed through the cookie, the familiar flavors greeting him like an old friend. None of the kitchen staff had been able to master Mrs. Potts' recipe. It had always been missing something.

"That's the exact recipe." Ben exclaimed in shock once he swallowed, licking the powdered sugar that he knew was there. "I could get used to you baking for me." He told her, nearly tempted to open his eyes.

Mal scoffed, still quite close. "You do realize every time I have baked for you it's been to spell you, right?" She asked, and he was sure it was with the cute little grin that wrinkled her nose.

"I think you should fix that." Ben answered, his eyes still closed. He knew better than to risk it "These cookies are amazing." Mal giggled, as if she knew some secret, and Ben couldn't help but wonder why.

Then came the aftertaste.

It tasted like the cherry had rotted and been replaced with tar. Like the cookie had been eaten and vomited back up just to be baked again and fed to him. He groaned and stuck out his tongue only to have another small cookie shoved in.

"Chew it and swallow it." Mal instructed, holding his mouth shut. "It will help with the aftertaste." She assured him and he chewed, though it felt and tasted like he was chewing mud, then the cherry flavor came through, and the sweetness of the powdered sugar. He forced himself to swallow, not wanting to risk more of the horrid aftertaste, but not wanting to risk Mal's anger either. "Better?" She asked and he reluctantly nodded.

"That was the tester?!" Ben exclaimed once he could speak again, his tongue still heavy with traces of the aftertaste..

"I lied." She explained. So you could take the VK off of the isle, but not the isle out of the VK. "That was the antidote, with a little healing potion added in." She continued, so not a terrible lie. "I felt a little bad about your nose and not being able to kiss it better." Then she was quiet for a while. "How do you feel?" She asked.

Ben thought about it for a few seconds. He was starting to feel a slight tingling and vibrations in his face and his nose, otherwise, he felt the same. "I feel fine." He answered.

"Open your eyes." Mal instructed, "Then tell me how you feel." She continued.

Ben opened his eyes slowly, unsure if the antidote would work or not. It didn't take long for him to realize they were alone. Before him, in the darkness, stood Mal, or so he guessed, covering her face with her hands, her hair a rusty blonde which clashed with her deep purple shirt. "Mal?" He asked, unsure if it was her or not, or what the antidote had done to him. He missed her violet curls already.

"Does it look bad?" She asked, pulling her hands away from her face to reveal hazel eyes and more freckles than Ben could count on chubbier cheeks.

"Not bad." Ben answered, choosing his words very carefully, knowing he was walking into a trap. Antidote or not. "It's just not Mal."

Mal laughed, but it wasn't quite her laugh. "Actually it is." She admitted. "I did a little chromosome shapeshifting." She did a little twirl. "This is what I would look like if I had more of my dad's features."

Ben spoke before he could stop himself. "So it is true." He muttered to himself.

"What is?" Mal asked, turning her attention back to him, her longer rust colored hair getting caught in her eyes. She pulled it behind her ear. "Do you know who my dad is?" She asked, her hazel eyes growing green with magic as she rushed closer to him, her hands resting on his thighs.

Ben sighed. She would find out eventually. "Everyone does." He explained quietly. "It's kind of an urban legend." He admitted carefully. "Don't you think an urban legend would spread if someone had been bold enough to bed the darkest villain of our time?" He asked her.

Mal crossed her arms defiantly. "And you didn't think to tell me?" She asked, "Not when we were on a date, or when we spent all that time together after the coronation. Or when I mentioned I was going to look for him earlier?" She slapped him across the chest a little harder than she intended, her anger manifesting outwardly.

"I thought you knew." Ben answered, taking her wrist before she hit him again. She didn't look like Mal, but she sure acted like her. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, even though she fought him. It was weird to see her as someone else.

"Who is he?" Mal asked, struggling against him. "How do I find him?" She continued, and Ben was sure he could feel her vibrating from the anger that he and everyone else knew.

"If I tell you, will you please look like Mal again?" He asked. "Or is this your fail safe if the antidote didn't work?" He wondered.

That made Mal laugh. "I just wanted to mess with you." She answered after a few long seconds. "See how evil you really are." She continued as she escaped his arms and leaned forward shaking her hair out.

When she stood up straight again, her hair was once again purple, her eyes green, everything back in it's proper place. Mal was back, her hair less than perfect, but Ben still wanted to run his fingers through it.

"My parents and I throw a council of the seven kingdoms every summer." Ben explained, pulling her back to him, "each family comes to the summer castle for two weeks and we hear out each kingdom's plights." Mal stared at him, confused. "Your father will be there." He explained, then he bit his lip, trying to keep the words from coming out, but unable to stop them. "And he's royalty."

Mal gasped. "Don't you dare tell me that I'm some princess." She pleaded. "And don't expect me to prance around with Ruffles and lace and sing with woodland creatures." She groaned, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Don't you dare tell me I'm your illegitimate sister or something."

"Thankfully, no." Ben answered with a smile. "We might be really distant cousins, though." He continued, taking her hand again.

They stayed silent for a while. And Ben smiled, realizing that he wasn't overcome with an insatiable lust as soon as he saw her as herself. Her antidote had worked.

"Mal," He began quietly. "I don't expect you to be anything you're not. My mom is convinced she can train the evil out of you with etiquette lessons and dancing lessons and tons of reading, but that's her nature. It took her years to house train my dad." That made her laugh and he knew he had an in, that her anger was dissolving as he held her in his arms. "I don't care that you're the daughter of Maleficent or that you're some illegitimate princess. I just want you to be you, Mal, insult battles, spell baking and all." He sighed, hoping she wouldn't take the option he was about to extend to her. "If you don't want to come with me because there are too many expectations, I understand."

"I never said I didn't want to go," Mal answered. "But if your mother makes me wear a pink poofy dress, I will set it on fire."

That image made Ben laugh. "You can go to the royal dinners in your underwear for all I care." He answered. "In fact, please do." He continued, teasing her slightly.

Mal groaned. "Only if you join me, Bennyboo." She answered, bopping him on the nose.

Ben laughed. "I'll get naked if you want me to." He responded, then he felt like he had to explain, especially after his most recent love drunk actions. "That was me talking." He clarified, "Not the lust spell."

"I know." Mal whispered into his ear, "and you are evil." She continued. "I can't kiss you and you're making me think naughty thoughts."

Ben raised his eyebrows. "We still have yet to define what counts as a kiss." He answered back. "My room is a single." He reminded her, "and we don't have to leave until tomorrow morning."

Mal put her hands on her hips. "I should keep an eye on your nose." She decided. "But if you try and kiss me directly again, lust spell or not, I will not hesitate to break it again." She threatened.

"Deal," Ben answered. "But you really are going to have to trust me." He continued, offering her his hand and leading her out of the kitchens and toward the stairs.

Ben's room was cleaner than Mal expected for a teenage boy's. Whether he was king or not, he was still a teenage boy, and compared to the cyclone that was Carlos and Jay's room, Ben's was pristine. Mal was sure the maids had something to do with that, but she chose to believe that Ben was more organized than her fellow VKs.

"Sorry for the mess." Ben said, moving a stack of textbooks from the bed to the desk, suddenly seeming a lot more nervous. That made Mal hold back a laugh.

She had never seen Ben's room before, though it wasn't much different from hers and Evie's. The only real difference was one large bed instead of two smaller ones taking up the space.

"Do they expect you to sleep, or have a budget meeting?" Mal asked, indicating to the bed. "You could fit the entire monetary council in here!" She said, looking around the room.

Ben laughed. "That's the point." He answered. "Though it's weird to have 40 people in here addressing you as "my liege" when your pajamas still have little planets with faces on them." He admitted.

Mal laughed again. "Remind me to remember that if I ever decide to spend the night in here." She said, looking around and trying to imagine it, and trying to hide the blush that came to her cheeks. "But you would never risk your reputation on a VK, right?" She asked, "Oh wait!"

"I wasn't wrong." Ben reminded her. "You did choose good and you saved the kingdom." He sat down on his bed, and pat the spot next to him, indicating for her to join him.

She sat down, but didn't look at him right away. "So I've been thinking about wording." She admitted, a sudden feeling of bubbling anxiousness beginning in her stomach. "You said you would give your kingdom for just one kiss." She explained. "Meaning in exchange for a kiss _from_ me." She reasoned. Words and intent were important in magic and promises.

"Are you willing to test that theory?" Ben asked her. "Because I'm not." He admitted. "I can wait until we know for sure that you're safe." He put his hand out as if he expected a handshake and Mal looked at him confused. "Until then, my hands are my lips." He explained. Mal looked down at his hand again. "You've read Romeo and Juliet, right?" He asked.

Mal nodded. "My mother's main arsenal against love." She explained. "And teenagers." She continued with a smile.

He took her hand and placed it gently on top of his. "And palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss." He quoted with a small smile. "When we find a solution, my lips will do what my hands do." He explained.

"Benjamin Florian, that sounds like a promise." She said, her smile cheeky. She secretly liked the idea, but she wasn't about to tell him that.

"Mal Bertha," he answered, pulling her closer to him and falling back onto his bed so she rest gently on top of him. "You bet your sweet ass that was a promise." She laughed. "And you don't have to call me by my full name every time." He reminded her. "Ben is just fine."

"Benjamin Florian just rolls off the tongue so easily." Mal answered, her cheeks pinking up. "Not at all like Mal Bertha." She grimaced before she lay her head on his shoulder, their hands still intertwined.

"I actually like Mal Bertha." Ben admitted, running his free hand up and down her back gently. "It fits you." He explained.

Mal snuggled into him closer, nuzzling her cheek against his shirt. "You would." She answered back. "I could change it to Cinderella Beauty and you would love it." She snarked at him.

"You know, as King, I could do that." Ben reminded her. "Cindy B could be your new princess name." He told her with a wicked smile before he rolled over onto her.

"Cindy B sounds like a stripper." Mal laughed, looking up at Ben and catching his eyes. "I mean-" she paused, "I'm sure they're very nice but-"

Ben laughed, wicked smile gone from his face. "I like Mal much better." He admitted, gripping her hand in his a little tighter.

Mal brought her free hand up to Ben's cheek and rested it there. "You don't know how much I want this hand to be my lips." She admitted quietly after a few seconds.

"I can guess." Ben answered before he turned his face to move her palm to his lips. "Do you trust me?" He whispered through her fingers, his eyes never leaving hers.

She nodded slowly as she continued to watch him. He took his free hand and grasped the hand against his cheek and lips, turning it to bring his lips down to the back of her hand gently. She continued to stare at him for several long seconds.

"Do you feel any different?" He asked her, and she shook her head, realizing she was perfectly fine and safe.

"Well at least I can do that." Ben sighed in relief as he rolled most of his weight from under her and leaned on his elbow, one hand still intertwined with hers. "Though I wonder what else I can do, if your theory is correct, I mean." He continued.

Mal shrugged, turning over to face him. "At least we know touching and cuddling isn't out of the question." She reassured him as she snuggled closer to him, her face in his chest, the exhaustion subtle in her voice.

"Mal?" Ben whispered after a while of silence between them. "Thank you." He said when she hummed a response. "I know Mrs. Potts cookies take a long time and I appreciate your dedication to-" a breathy snore erupted from his chest and Mal's barely parted lips and he smiled, gently ghosting a hand over her purple curls.

Everything was about to change, but at least he had Mal at his side. He hoped to keep her there for quite a while and that he could take in her beauty every single day.


	5. Chapter 5

Mal rolled over and hit something fleshy. She wondered if she had fallen asleep amongst the other VKs, as they sometimes did on the island during the colder nights, or as they had taken to doing more recently when studying for remedial goodness. Several short seconds later, the realization hit her that finals were over and that she had followed Ben to his room the night before.

Her eyes popped open, and she found Ben asleep on his back, his arms curled up to his chest, his tongue just peeking out slightly. He even slept like a puppy and the position he was in made Mal want to scratch his belly. She wondered if his leg would twitch like Dude's did when his belly was scratched in just the right place. She was just about to try it, when a loud knock came at the door.

She jumped and darted under the bed, the only hiding place she could think of on such short notice. Ben did not stir.

The loud knock came again. That time with a voice "Your majesty!" An older man's voice came from behind the door, "Your Majesty!" The voice came louder with a pounding knock that threatened to break down the door.

Ben shot up from the bed with a gasp, the springs of the mattress above her shifting noiselessly. She couldn't see him, but she imagined a less than composed look on his face and fought back a giggle. She would have loved to see that face.

His ankles closed the distance to the door and set of ankles, clad in a royal blue with shiny black boots greeted him as soon as he opened the door. The royal advisor, or someone from the kingdom, she guessed.

"My king," the advisor spoke as he bowed before Ben. Mal caught the top of his dark hair before she ducked back further under the bed to avoid any wayward eyes. "Your parents request your presence at the summer palace this evening." He explained. "They would like to know if you and Miss Mal would be able to join them for supper." He explained.

"We shall be on the road before the afternoon." Ben answered, using his royal voice, the tone he almost never used with Mal. Any trace of the surprise wake up gone. "Have the car ready, Cogsworth."

"As you wish, your majesty." Cogsworth answered with another bow before he left.

Ben shut the door behind him and Mal watched as he just stood in the same spot for several seconds. "You know," he said, turning back toward the bed and taking a few steps closer, his tone light and playful once again, "I could have sworn a girl fell asleep in my bed last night." He sat down on the bed and shifted his weight making the springs creak beneath him and above her. "I would have liked to wake up with her still in my bed." He continued.

He knew exactly where she was.

She shifted closer to the edge noiselessly, just close enough to grab his ankle from under the bed with quick hands. He jumped before he leaned down to see her under the bed. "I hear she's a real dragon when she wakes up." She answered, unable to hide the small smile across her cheeks.

"Oh yeah." Ben answered with a straight face. "A holy terror to strawberries and jelly donuts." He continued as he smiled. He stood and offered her his hand. She let him pull her out from under the bed, then help her to her feet.

"And to noses of kings." She answered tapping his nose with her forefinger gently. It had healed quite a lot during the night and just a slight crook in his nose remained. Her healing spell had been a success, surprisingly. "So the royal family beckons?"

"Yes." Ben nodded. "Can you be ready within the hour?"

"I can be ready now." Mal said. "I don't have much to pack."

"You're going to meet my parents covered in dust, bed head and all?" He asked with a laugh, his hand ruffling her long bangs.

"You're one to talk." Mal answered. "Do you know how beastly your hair looks?" She asked.

Ben laughed. "You just watch, tomorrow it will be a stylecraze."

"Sure," Mal answered. "Shall I leave you to your morning beauty ritual?" She asked him.

"Meet me at the statue of my dad in an hour." He told her, extending his hand. She took it and he squeezed. She squeezed back.

"One hour." She agreed before she left his dorm, trying to flatten her hair.

* * *

When Mal got back to her and Evie's dorm, it was empty. She figured Evie was out somewhere with Doug, most likely exchanging their goodbyes. She was honestly surprised that the two of them weren't tangled in each other's arms, their clothing spread all around the room. In a way she was relieved. It meant she could get ready for her long trip with Ben without having to worry about Evie and Doug.

She showered and dressed and when she came out of the bathroom, still drying her hair, Evie was packing her small bag. She looked to Mal and heaved a sigh of relief.

"I thought you had already left." Evie exclaimed, rushing forward to meet her. "How did the antidote go?" She asked. " Where were you last night? Did you go to his room?"

Mal's blush said it all, though there wasn't much to tell. "I didn't mean to stay," she admitted, "but I was just so exhausted that I crashed." She explained, knowing it was nearly impossible to lie to Evie. "The antidote worked great." She pulled her small rucksack out from under her bed, putting the spell book into it next to her jacket, not wanting to reveal too many more details simply because there were none.

"M?" Evie asked, hesitantly, "Are you sure you should go by yourself?" Mal turned her attention back to Evie and Evie began to dust her cheeks with makeup. "If someone could spell Ben here, think of all the strangers that could spell him there." Mal didn't even try to fight her. She put a gentle hand on Mal's shoulder as she continued to make Mal up. "People aren't going to trust you right away, especially the other royal families." She reminded her.

"I know." Mal answered. "My mom made that nearly impossible, but I'd do anything for Ben and he really wants me to go." She smiled a nervous smile, "Besides, I don't think I could survive a whole summer without him." She watched as Evie's face curled into a super excited smile. "And if you tell anyone I said that, I will kill you." She added.

Evie zipped her lips. "I'm worried about you, M." She admitted once Mal turned back to her luggage. "An entire summer with a pair of lips that could possibly kill you. You need a defense." She set her makeup brushes down and handed Mal a small red tin from her makeup bag. Mal looked at her confused. "It's the same sleeping spell my mom used on Snow." She explained. "In lipgloss form. His lips barely touch yours: bam! He's out until you give him the antidote." She handed her another tin. "Red is the potion, green is the antidote."

"Thanks, E." Mal answered, pocketing both. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Jay and Carlos sent you parting gifts too." Evie explained, handing Mal a small knife attached to a thigh holster, and a dog whistle. "Jay told me to tell you to always have a knife, and Carlos-" She stared at the silver whistle. "well he means well." She continued.

Mal took them anyway. "I'll be fine, E." She repeated. "I'll send you messages as often as I can and I will bring Ben to the island." She hugged her tight, and caught a glimpse of the alarm clock between their beds. "I have to head out now." She released Evie. "Be safe, ok?" She told the younger girl, "Knock in a few heads for me. I'm sure I'll want to." She added, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and picking up her mother's cage.

She opened the door to see Jay and Carlos standing there. "We thought we missed you." Jay exclaimed picking her up and pulling her into a hug.

"Settle down." Mal answered with an embarrassed smile, she knew what was coming next. "I don't have time for octopus monster." She told them, seeing how both Carlos and Evie were ready to tickle her.

"Come on." Jay continued, wiggling with her in his arms. "You know you love octopus monster. And it will be months before we can do it again."

Mal sighed. "Fine" she agreed, letting her arms and legs go limp as Jay spun her back and forth gently. "I am a sad cuttlefish that can only smile with tickles." She said flatly. Her salamander mother made a retching sound, but no one cared.

Then the others tickled her until she begged for mercy. And Jay set her back on her feet. "I'm really going to miss you guys." Mal admitted, panting and brushing her bangs from her eyes. "It's going to be a long summer of being good." She sighed.

"There have to be a lot of empty walls to tag." Jay reminded her. "Long live Evil" he continued, "or you know, long live good or whatever." He shrugged.

"You could use your evil for good." Carlos reminded her. "Think of how often we tried to get the kingdom to get better stuff for us. There have to be slum kids close by. You could help them." He reminded her.

"Just be yourself, Mal." Evie added, "And don't keep King Ben waiting too long." Then they pushed her toward the stairs gently and all waved.

She waved, the last time she would see them for a few months. She felt like a lamb heading for the slaughter.

* * *

Ben stood at the statue of his father, the sun climbing high in the sky, as he waited for Mal. He couldn't believe that finals were over and that summer had officially begun. He couldn't believe that Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, was going to join him at the summer castle, but first a half a day's ride. Even though he usually hated long travel, the thought of sharing a ride with Mal for several hours made him smile.

Things had become better between them since the last time he met her at the statue of his father. He had been freed from the lust spell, thankfully, he had figured out he could at least kiss her hand, and she had agreed to go with him, and not go back to the island just yet. He wanted to go with her when she went back. See things for himself. Not let the newspapers and the tabloids tell him what to think.

"Penny for your thoughts, Bennyboo?" Mal's voice came from behind him as she joined him by the statue. Her hair was windblown, like she had sprinted from the dorms, her rucksack hanging from one shoulder, her mother's cage in the other hand, complete with complaining Maleficent, but she smiled as soon as she saw him.

He smiled back at her. "What are we going to do to entertain ourselves in a car for eight hours?" He joked, not sure he wanted to tell her all of his thoughts just yet. They would put her to sleep.

"I could put you to sleep." Mal suggested, her smile taking a wicked turn, "We'd be there before you knew it."

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And miss eight hours of stories from your childhood?" He asked, "Not a chance." He continued.

Mal laughed. "Stories from your childhood would probably put me to sleep." She said. "When I was four mummy gave me a cookie." She quoted in her best impression of his voice. "When I was eight mom and dad threw me a great birthday party and I asked for a horse. I got five." She quoted again. "Boring!" She exclaimed. Even Maleficent laughed at that.

Ben smiled. "Actually, I got four horses and a bicycle." Ben corrected, with a slight blush. How easily she could see through him it seemed, "But I do have interesting stories from my childhood!" He tried to explain, Mal just laughed. "Come on," he told her, standing from the stone likeness of his father. "The car is waiting." He offered her his hand and she took it. "Let me carry your bag." He continued before they began to walk.

Mal laughed. "I'm not some delicate princess," she countered. "I can carry my own bag." She explained. He knew that, and to be honest, he preferred her that way. She was a wildcard, not like any of the other princesses, or Audrey at all. "Besides, the king should not carry a peasant's bag." She told him in a fluffed up official voice before she took a few light steps ahead, releasing his hand.

"Ok," he answered, following her for a few steps, "Then I'll just have to carry you." He said, scooping her, rucksack and all, up into his arms and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Ben!" She shouted, wrestling against him, shocked at first. "Ben!" She shouted again as he held her tight, walking toward the garages as if she weighed nothing, which to him, she did.

"Call me King Ben and maybe I'll be nice." He told her, remembering how she had reacted when he was feeling evil under the lust spell. Not when he had her in the classroom, but in the more innocent moments in the cafeteria. "Or I could just tickle you until you give in." He threatened.

"Benjamin Florian!" Mal screeched at him between her peels of laughter. "If you don't put me down, I won't speak to you for the entire summer!" Somehow, her threats didn't seem so concrete. "I'll-" she paused and stuttered. "I'll stay chromosome shapeshifted." She threatened. "I hope you enjoy red hair and freckles."

Ben laughed. "I can only imagine the tabloids." He told her. "Who is the new princess on the arm of King Ben?" He made up the fake headline. "Mal is out and Cindy B is the new crown hopeful." He quoted the byline, hoping to make her laugh.

Mal relaxed in his arms. "Crown hopeful, huh?" She asked, as she bounced slightly over Ben's shoulder. He wasn't sure he was ready to have that conversation yet, and yet he had subconsciously brought it up.

"That's what the tabloids will say anyway." Ben tried to cover, hoping she couldn't sense his anxiousness. "They will pick up on anything." He explained, not sure how much she really knew about the tabloids. He had kept them mostly away from her, as much as he could. "Did Mal lighten her hair? King Ben prefers Lavender instead." He made up another headline. "Mal and Ben refuse to kiss for the cameras, are they on the rocks?" He continued as they entered the garages.

He set her down. "Crown hopeful?" She asked again, a little smile on her face, once she could catch his eyes again. It became obvious to him, she wasn't going to let it go.

"Mal," he said, trying to put on his most diplomatic face. "We've only been dating a month, haven't even kissed yet, and you haven't even seen half of the demand of being a King's girlfriend." He kept his eyes on her, trying to gauge her reaction. "We're not our parents." He repeated to her. "We don't have to decide things right away. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to." He tried to direct her to the car, trying to find another topic to make things less awkward.

She took his hand and smiled. "Just think of the mischief I could get into as queen." She said with a wicked smile, making him only want to kiss her more. She sounded like her mother.

Ben laughed, suddenly less anxious about the whole thing. "I'm pretty sure that's what everyone is terrified of." He answered, bringing his hand to her cheek gently. "I would kiss you and pass it over in an instant if I knew everything was going to be alright." He admitted, "but I am so terrified of hurting you, it's ridiculous."

The blush that crossed her cheeks made him smile. She put her hand to his cheek. "You are ridiculous, King Ben." She answered. "You can't just pass it over like you don't care. It's your birthright, and you will keep it." She explained and he sensed a tinge of sadness behind her smile. "The only way I'll take it from you, is if we share it." Then she removed her hand and got into the car.

He stood there, thinking about her words for a few long seconds. If they shared it, that would mean…! He would be lying to himself if he said the thought hadn't crossed his mind, but it was way too soon to even bring it up seriously. The driver cleared his throat, pulling Ben from his thoughts and he slipped into the car.

She was absorbed in her sketchbook, headphones in both ears, her pencil moving wildly across the mostly blank canvas of her sketchbook, her mother's cage under her feet at the farthest seat from the door. He took that as a sign that the conversation was basically over. Still, he couldn't stand an eight hour ride, or even a ten minute ride with awkward silence.

"Tell me about your favorite memory from your childhood." He requested. By the way she jumped at his voice ten minutes into the ride, he knew she heard him.

She pulled out an earbud, the remnants of a loud industrial beat freed from her ear. She didn't look right at him. "I was four and I pushed another child down and stole her doll." Mal admitted. "That was the first time I can remember my mother smiling." She explained. "The first day she called me part of a name." She continued with a smile.

Ben stared shocked. It was not the kind of memory he expected her to share, and yet with Maleficent as her mother, it wasn't that far of a stretch. "You didn't have a name for four years of your life?" He asked, stunned. He couldn't think of anything so evil as to not name a child. Then again, Maleficent was evil personified, so shouldn't have been that big of a shock.

Mal shook her head. "My mother never wanted me anyway." She explained. "If she wasn't stuck on the island, I would probably just be a bad memory from a not so magical one night stand" She turned her attention back to her sketchbook, avoiding his eyes. "I guess your dad did something right." She continued before she put the earbud back in, her pencil strokes more frenzied and loud against the page.

Ben moved from the seat across from her and got down on his knees in front of her, taking her face in both of his hands and resting his forehead against hers. She tried to pull away, focus on her sketchbook and hide her eyes, but he held her there. "I can't even imagine." He began, holding her eyes with his. "To not be loved or accepted until you were four years old?" He asked. "That's just-" he paused. "That's just evil." He continued.

She raised her eyebrows at his as if to say "well, duh." And then she let out a short laugh. "The more evil things I did, the more she smiled," She continued, "the more of my name- her name- she gave me." She explained, "The more I felt accepted." She sighed, "And then I met the others and everything became better. I thought my chance to get my name, my full credentials of evil, was the wand." She admitted, "And then you came along and I didn't care about any of that" She concluded with a smile.

The car jostled over a speed bump and Ben pulled his forehead away, not willing to risk any lip contact, accidental or not. Instead, he pulled her into a tight hug, not caring about her sketchbook or her mother between them. He didn't have the words, but he hoped his actions would be enough.

Then he realized that she might change her mind when she got a taste of the stresses of being the King's girlfriend. "I'm here for you Mal." He whispered. "No matter what happens."

He thought about his options at that moment, as Mal wrapped her arms around him too. Would he accept it if she couldn't handle the stressors? No, he realized, he would follow her anywhere. He would give up his kingdom for her, if she asked him.

For a kiss. For anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Ben awoke with a start as the car bolted forward, passing through the drawbridge of the summer castle. He turned to see Mal, still asleep across the seats of the car, her sketchbook on the floor, sprawled open where it had fallen, the pencil still loosely in her free hand. The way she slept, curled up in the smallest ball possible, as if to protect herself from anything, her hands as close to her face as possible, curled into loose fists, reminded him that she had grown up on the island, fighting for any scrap of anything usable.

He had heard stories about the island, both from the VKs and from the news and tabloids. From the news and tabloids, it sounded like it was just a fact of life, that the people there got what they deserved. From Mal and the rest of the kids he had allowed to join them at Auradon Prep, they were horror stories. Not having names, fearing innocent animals, not feeling loved or accepted unless they brought pain and suffering or stolen goods. They were the stories of nightmares.

Ben found himself running his fingers through her violet locks gently, feeling so relieved that he had made the decisions he did, even if everyone else had told him he had been wrong.

He had seen her smile, and her love of strawberries and jelly donuts, and he'd seen her turn against her nature and overcome it. He had watched her blossom into this young woman that he couldn't imagine a day without seeing, an amazing, still somewhat evil girl who made him ache for her touch. She had love spelled him to get closer to him for the wand, but had decided to unspell him and forgo the wand for her friends and to go to school. She wasn't all evil.

"So you're the sap who's in love with my little failure." Maleficent's tiny voice came from the cage under the seat. "You're the pitiful king that will lose his kingdom over a pretty girl." She came out from her little log cover and stared right at him.

"Mal is not a failure." Ben answered, staring down at the black and purple lizard, "And I would gladly give my kingdom to her if only she asked." He admitted, then he realized he had proved her right. "But she won't do that." He defended his purple haired beauty.

"I raised her for sixteen years, Pup," Maleficent boasted, "taught her the evilest things I know, and you think a few months of your school and gooey promises will change her ways?" She asked.

Ben stared at the tiny lizard, the open mouthed smile with the pointed teeth reminding him of the human Maleficent of old in books and paintings. "Mal is good." He spoke, believing it to be true. "She bested you, and made you this. Yet you're still convinced she sides with you?" He asked.

Maleficent didn't move, or even blink. "She'll crack under the pressure to be good. You'll see the true Mal and wish you hadn't." She explained, and he knew she was trying to rile him up.

"You're so convinced she's still on your side?" Ben repeated, "that she'll return to her evil ways? Well I don't think so."

"You think she'll be your docile Queen on the throne?" Maleficent challenged him. "I did not raise her to be princess material. You want to parade her around, show her off, pretend she's good, but she will ruin you. She will crack under the pressure of your customs."

Ben shook his head. "Mal will never be docile." He admitted. "And I think she can do it, she is a princess by birth." He looked to Mal, still in a deep sleep, then back to her mother. "If she can't handle it, if she leaves for Auradon Prep or the isle, without me before summer ends, then I will hand over my kingdom to you willingly," The words tumbled out before he even thought them through.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Pup." Maleficent reminded him, quite satisfied. "Don't forget, If she kisses you before that, your kingdom is mine." She was quite pleased with herself.

"But if you get my kingdom, under any circumstances, you have to let her live." Ben continued, cementing the promise. "And no more lust spells." He said, "I don't know how you did it, but I know it was you." He realized he could turn it around in his favor. "If either Mal or I is forced to do anything under the effects of your spell or duress, the promise is null and void." He continued.

"Bold demands for a pup." Maleficent balked as the carriage pulled to a stop. "Your kingdom will be mine." She assured him before she crawled back under her log, "but I will spare the failure if I can."

Ben heaved a sigh of relief, then he turned to Mal. What had he done? He had saved Mal in some way, right?

"Mal," he whispered, his voice getting caught in his throat. "Mal," he said a little louder, reaching out to shake her shoulder gently. "We're here." He said.

Ben ducked as her hands clenched into tighter fists and began swinging, her eyes still closed, still half asleep for a few more seconds. Her eyes popped open after a few seconds and then she noticed him, just out of her reach.

"I didn't hit you, did I?" She asked, looking to him before she picked up her sketchbook and the pencil she had dropped in sleep. He shook his head. "I told you I was a dragon when I wake up." She admitted with a smile.

Ben was still in shock from the promise he had made with her mother. What had he done? Had he saved her, or damned them both. "We're here." He repeated, swallowing the lump in his throat. The paparazzi outside were likely to frighten her and Maleficent could succeed just like that.

"Ben?" Mal asked, "Are you alright? You're looking a little pale." She placed her hand to his forehead.

"Just hungry I guess." He lied, though it was part truth. "Listen, Mal." He started, "Remember how after the coronation we couldn't seem to find a moment alone?" He asked. "How leaving the cathedral it was a thousand and one flashbulbs?" He asked, using her same wording. She nodded slowly. "This is going to be just like that." He admitted, "but let me do the talking and I promise nothing bad will happen to you."

"Ben?" She asked as she smoothed his hair. "Are you sure you're ok?" She looked at him with such concern that he felt his heart flutter in his chest.

"Yeah." He answered, plastering a smile on his face, running his thumb down her cheek before he stood and offered her his hand. "Long travel doesn't sit well with me." It wasn't necessarily a lie.

She took his hand and stood, grabbing for her rucksack and her mother. "Leave them." Ben told her. "Cogsworth and the other groomsmen will bring them up." He explained as he squeezed her hand.

Then he opened the door to the carriage and the two of them were greeted with flashes from every angle. Ben plastered his kingly smile on his face and led Mal down the carriage steps carefully. Then he led her through the throng of cameras and reporters, asking questions, and taking pictures. When he reached the palace steps where his parents were waiting for them, he turned and gave a general statement.

" _We travelled well_." He told the paparazzi all around them. " _How could I not with such a beautiful woman_?" He added with a cheeky smile before they turned to his parents and exchanged bows.

" _I don't think your girlfriend speaks any French_ " His father whispered without moving his lips too much.

" _I know_ " Ben answered him, sneaking a look over to Mal and his mother, exchanging pleasantries in English. " _Mom will fix that_." He continued.

" _Yes_ ," his father answered, as Ben turned to greet his mother. " _We have both fallen for dangerous women_." Ben smiled at that.

"Hello sir." Mal said as she bowed slightly to the former king. "It's wonderful to see you again, and I thank you for the invitation."

"I had nothing to do with it." Ben's father answered, "It was all Ben's idea. Once that kid gets an idea, good luck convincing him otherwise. No idea where he gets that from. Probably his mother." He told her and Mal laughed.

After a few minutes of photo opportunities, the four of them entered the castle and shut the large doors to the outside. Once inside, the greetings became a little less stiff and formal. His mother chattered at him at breakneck speed in French and he answered the same every time. It was like a thousand "oui"s before a "non" showed up.

"She's asking him all about school." Ben's father whispered to her, before he could explain himself. "Typical mother stuff." He said, and then he rephrased when he realized who he was talking to. "If he's eaten enough, if he's bathed regularly, how his classes were, what his grades should be."

"Et tu?" Ben's mother asked as she turned to Mal. Then she started to prattle off questions.

"Maman!" Ben exclaimed, taking Mal's hand. "Mal doesn't know French."

"Her mother sure does." His mother answered in English, her shock not easily hidden. "What happened?" She wondered.

Mal put on her best smile, but Ben could tell she was anxious. "I grew up on the isle." She explained. "My mother deemed it best for me to put my energy into other activities besides learning her native tongue." She squeezed Ben's hand back. "I did pick up a little from the refuse of the island," she admitted, "though, with all due respect, it was most of the swear words that your majesties removed from the curriculum."

His mother looked as though she was about to faint, but his father just laughed. "At least she's diplomatic," he spoke, "Though we should fix that." He added after a stern look from his wife.

"Dear," his mother started gently as she looked Mal up and down, "What are you wearing?"

"Maman!" Ben cut her off, " _Stop_!" If nothing else scared Mal away, it would be his mother that would be the last straw.

"No," Mal told him gently, "it's ok." She turned to his mother. "I am wearing a dress designed by my best friend Evie." She explained. "I told her that you would think it was too short, but she insisted that it was all the rage these days. She loves having brand new fabric, by the way." She looked down at the deep purple fabric then back to Ben's mother. "Though if you would like me to change before dinner, I would happily oblige." She decided.

"That might be best." His mother decided with a gentle smile. "Yvonne," she said, calling to a maid nearby. " _Show Mal to her sleeping quarters_."

"Oui, madam." The maid, Yvonne, answered. Then led Mal up the stairs and out of sight.

Once she was out of earshot, his mother heaved a sigh of relief. His father seemed to relax too. " _There's no need to be so formal_." He reminded them in their native language. " _I think she did fine._ " He admitted.

" _Until she opens her mouth when they ask questions._ " His mother answered. " _I can't make her fluent in three years, let alone three months._ " She explained.

" _Mal's a quick study._ " Ben answered, " _She got 100% on her remedial goodness final."_ He bragged for her. " _With her magic-"_

His mother cut him off her hand waving wildly. " _Your father and I think it would be best if she didn't do magic while she was here."_ She explained. " _She's already under scrutiny for being the daughter of Maleficent, if the press catches her doing magic, it will only scare them."_

Ben understood it, though he didn't necessarily agree with it. " _Ok,"_ he answered, " _I'll tell her._ " He agreed. " _Any other regulations?"_ He asked, knowing his mother well.

" _If she paints, it had better be on a canvas."_ His father laughed. " _Go clean up and we'll get some dinner. We can talk about the regulations later."_

* * *

Mal stared at herself in the floor length mirror with a critical eye. The dress was too… She couldn't even describe what was wrong with it. It was too something. She knew Evie would pick up on it right away, but she just couldn't see it. Her hair was too poofy due to the change in humidity, and her makeup was just not cooperating after a long ride and the nap she had taken.

She had already made a fool of herself in front of Ben's parents for the third time. Sadly, she sensed it wouldn't be the last time. It was just so hard to make a good impression it seemed. Like she was never going to be good enough for them, or their son. Then again, she was a villain's daughter.

"The waistlines too high." Her mother's diminutive voice came from the window sill. "It makes it look like you're trying to smuggle circus animals."

Mal looked to the window sill, then back to the mirror, her mother was right. It was too high and too flowy in the front. Though it did make her chest look fuller and the color was decent enough. Though maybe it just looked that way because she couldn't fasten it all the way.

She turned away from the mirror just slightly so she could see the zipper. "Winds of the east, south, north and west, assist me in-"

"No, no, no." Ben exclaimed running in, very unking like, stopping her. He cleared his throat and stood straighter, a slight nervous smile coming to his lips. "I mean, you should let me do that." He rephrased, closing the distance between them with slower deliberate steps.

He turned her around to face the mirror and gently ran his hands down her back toward the start of the zipper. Mal shivered as his fingertips ghosted her spine.

"Should you be in here?" She asked him, catching his reflection in the mirror as he gave her what could be considered a wicked smile.

"I won't tell if you don't." He answered as he started the zipper up her back intentionally making her shiver a few times.

"I am definitely a bad influence on you." She decided once he finished the zipper. "And your parents, along with everyone else think I'm still working with my mom." She sighed.

"You can change that." Ben reminded her, his hands resting gently on her shoulders, then he took a deep breath. "My parents would rather you didn't use magic here." He explained, "They're afraid of magic, only seeing the evil in it, so try and keep it to a minimum." He requested.

She sighed, figuring as much from Former King Beast. "They're afraid I'm going to keep spelling you." She said, shifting the focus to her scare hair, without magic, how would she manage? "They think I'm a bad influence." She repeated, and that thought did make her smile a bit.

"A bad influence would be me taking off your dress." Ben reminded her. "Which I am not ruling out later." He added, wrapping an arm around her waist and making a familiar warmth come to her cheeks. "What's good isn't always easy." He explained. "But I believe in you."

He picked up the gold comb from the bureau next to the mirror. "Try this one." He suggested, "It's one of my mom's favorites." He explained, pulling her hair behind her ear and fastening it in place. "Just relax." He continued. "They're my parents, not the king and queen of hearts."

"Might as well be." Mal muttered, taking herself in in the mirror one last time. The dress looked much better, and the hair piece brought it all together. "I look like a princess." Mal exclaimed, not sure whether to be surprised or disgusted.

Ben continued to smile and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. "You do." He agreed, "but it's what's inside you that matters most." He reminded her. "I know you don't like this," he indicated to the mirror, "but after all of the official stuff is taken care of, I will try and make it as normal of a summer as possible. Just give it a chance."

Mal nodded, turning back toward him. "You're King, Ben." She told him, "The official stuff is far from taken care of." She knew that much, but she was trying. "And what is a normal summer?" She asked with an interested smile. "I doubt you do things the same as on the isle." She reminded him.

"I guess you'll just have to find out." He answered as the clock chimed the time and he offered her his arm. "Shall we?" He asked.

She gave one last look to herself in the mirror and interlaced her arm with his. "We shall." She answered.


	7. Chapter 7

King Benjamin Florian, son of Former King Adam and Queen Belle, swore he was going to kill his mother, or the staff, or whoever had set out the formal silverware with the dozens of forks and knives and bowls and plates. He was sure just looking at the tableware would make Mal bolt. Not only that, but his mother had sat them quite far apart. Too far apart to assist her at all.

The toast had gone fine, besides it all being in French, and Mal looked quite confused. Ben reminded himself to translate for her later.

Mal and his father were making small talk, his French slow and deliberate as he described objects and their colors. His mother was still very formal and mechanical, waiting for the first course to be brought out.

Ben watched as Mal laughed at his father's facial expressions as he described the flowers in the centerpiece. Then he realized how similar they were. His father had once been hated, feared, cursed by the kingdom until his mother, by a stroke of luck had come to live with him in the castle. She had saved his father.

Not that Mal needed saving. She had saved him and the entire kingdom from her mother. She could handle most things herself. She could use a little help with the French, and the ins and outs of royalty, but she was strong enough to save herself most of the time.

By the time the first course came out, Mal could name at least most of the colors. Though throughout his father would test her. Asking her questions like "What color are Ben's eyes?" Or "What color do Ben's cheeks turn when we talk about him?" Pretty simple questions, that she picked up pretty quick.

Everything seemed to be going fine, until the first course came out. The cooks placed their plates before them and Mal looked to Ben, her eyes holding a thousand questions. Of course she would, it was probably something she had never thought of as food before.

She picked up how to eat them pretty quick watching Ben and his parents, but she still looked a little apprehensive. After a few minutes, his father, sitting closer other than he was, reassured her. "They're not as bad as they look." He said, with a little smile, "They don't taste anything like the ones you'd find out in the garden." He shucked one and put it on her plate. "If you close your eyes you can't even tell." He assured her.

Mal closed her eyes and put the slimy animal in her mouth. His father stood and caught his attention. Ben caught on pretty quickly and they switched seats almost silently.

"So what do you think?" Ben asked, quite satisfied with the shocked look on her face when she realized he was there.

"I'm not sure about the snails, I'm not sure if I should eat them or use them in spells," she began quietly, "but you and your father are sneaky."

"My mother wanted to see if you could survive dinner by yourself." He told her, knowing exactly what his mother had planned. "Though I think that's cruel." He continued. "She is dying to ask you as many questions as she can though."

The second course came out not too long after that, and Mal stared at it yet again, the muscly legs shocking her quite audibly.

"Have you never had frog legs before?" His mother asked her. "They're Ben's favorite." She explained, and Ben hated her tone. She was definitely trying to scare Mal away and she wasn't being very subtle about it.

"Honestly," Mal answered, her voice less confident than before. "I'm not sure whether you're playing a trick on me, or being serious." She admitted. "We don't have food like this on the island." She admitted.

"Whatever did you eat?" His mother asked and Ben knew she knew exactly what they were given on the island. She was the one that had suggested trash sorters after the beauty potion fiasco a few years into his childhood.

"It's not polite dinner conversation." Mal responded diplomatically. "I want to hear more about your life here." She continued with something they were comfortable with. "What do you call these in your native language?" She asked, quite unsure how to eat one.

"Les jambes de grenouille." His mother answered flatly and Ben could almost sense a sadness coming from her. Was she starting to feel sorry for Mal?

"Do you know why these are my favorite?" Ben asked the purple haired beauty beside him, trying to ease the tension, as his job of King called for. Mal shook her head slowly and Ben cleared his throat. "Make them dance Georges." He instructed and one of the white clad servants behind him began pouring salt over the legs. They started to twitch slowly then wiggle and shake like they were dancing.

Mal laughed. "Aren't you supposed to eat your food, rather than play with it?" She asked and Ben just smiled. "Unless they are just spell ingredients."

Immediately, it seemed like everything stopped and Ben looked around to see everyone paling. Mal seemed to notice it too, she tried to cover. "I mean-" she paused, "They look delicious." She covered, shoving a whole pair in her mouth.

That only made things worse and much more awkward. He took her hand with his free hand and squeezed it. He honestly hadn't expected the first night to go perfectly.

It was nearly two courses later before his mother spoke again. "I'm sure you know how to eat duck?" His mother asked Mal as if she was stupid.

"Yes." Mal answered with a smile, "Though never so fresh and with so much meat." She added quite impressed.

From there, things got easier, at least a little bit.

The entire dinner continued to be awkward and Ben was never so glad to be dismissed from the table. Mal seemed to run away faster than he did, giving her "good nights" and "thank you"s rather quickly before darting off.

Ben wanted to chase her, but instead he stayed and chastised his parents. " _I can't believe you."_ He said, more specifically to his mother. " _You knew she was doomed from the start and yet you kept pushing. She was trying her hardest to impress you."_ He knew he was yelling, but he didn't care. " _Need I remind you that you needed to teach dad everything again after he became human?"_ He continued.

" _I am looking out for you, Ben."_ His mother responded. " _She was raised by her mother, do you think she can live the life we live?"_ She asked him. " _Wouldn't you rather know now that she is still her mother's daughter, rather than later?"_ She repeated.

" _You know who her father is."_ Ben answered. " _You know her lineage, and you think she can't learn table manners and dress up and act pretty?"_ He asked. " _Or are you worried what everyone will think? King Ben is an idiot- is it true love or a love spell?"_

" _It's not that."_ His father stepped in, " _We all know who her father could be,"_ he put a hand on Ben's shoulder, but Ben shook it off. " _We don't think she's good enough to break it. You know what we promised in exchange for the crown."_ He reminded him.

" _Yeah, I do."_ Ben answered still annoyed, " _But I have had enough of promises lately."_ He turned to leave and find Mal, but then turned back to face his parents. " _Stop trying to scare her away."_ He pleaded, remembering what he had promised to Maleficent before he left for the stairs.

* * *

Mal stared at herself in the mirror again, the dress still pristinely hugging her curves, the hair piece still taming her hair enough for it to be considered chic. She looked like a princess, sure, but she didn't feel like she had been treated like one, that she would ever be treated like one. She was a VK, rotten to the core, or so she had thought. So everyone else still thought.

"I tried to warn you." Her mother's miniature voice came from the cage under the window. "You're cut from the strongest dragon, you are not princess material."

Mal had thought she could pretend, like Evie used to when they were children, but maybe her mother was right, except something was bothering her. "Why did you lie about my father?" She asked as she carefully removed the gold hairpiece and placed it back on the bureau carefully.

"He abandoned us." Maleficent told her. "Just as King Ben will abandon you when you can't meet his expectations of a perfect princess." Mal wanted to fight her on that, but she knew it was definitely a possibility. "We could leave right now." Her mother pressed. "Head back home and you could run the isle in my absence."

Mal would be lying if she said it wasn't a tempting offer. "I think I want to stay." She decided, untangling a few wayward curls before a knock came at the door.

She hoped it was Ben, or even a servant of the royal household, anyone but the former Queen. She opened the door slowly, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. She was quite relieved when she found Ben there, his usual smile present as soon as he saw her. That was a good sign.

"Hey," he said, "Do you feel up to doing something with me?" He asked.

"Does it involve flowy dresses, weird foods, or the press?" She asked him, carefully considering her options.

He thought about it. "No, Not unless you consider strawberries weird, and I hope not." He answered with a smile.

"What are we doing?" Mal asked with a smile, strawberries would always be one way to her heart.

Ben shook his head with a knowing smile. "Meet me at the backdoor of the kitchen in ten minutes." He told her, "Dress warmly." He suggested before he tried to leave.

"Wait!" Mal stopped him, "Could you unzip me?" She asked, her cheeks growing pink. She knew she could call Yvonne or any of the other thousands of staff, but Ben was already there and she liked his hands against her bare skin, perhaps more than she should.

Ben laughed and followed her into the room, gently shutting the door behind him. "You're not going to break my nose again if I get a little overzealous, are you?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Unzipping is a big change from dressing you." He whispered.

Mal blushed and it wasn't subtle at all. "Are you going to try and kiss me?" She asked, trying to keep her composure as a shiver ran up her spine. She could feel her heart beating in her ears, her palms starting to sweat.

"Only when I know it's safe." Ben reassured her, brushing her hair away from her neck. He reached for the zipper at the base of her neck, and dragged it down slowly. "Or unless it's your hand." He added, his breath warm against her neck, making the shivers run up her spine again.

Once he finished with the zipper, a comfortable silence fell over them. "The backdoor of the kitchen in ten minutes." He reminded her before he bowed before her and left.

Mal could feel her cheeks growing pink again. Ben barely bowed before her, and he had insisted that she not bow to him unless it was a formal occasion. She couldn't wait to see what he had planned for them.

"Be careful, Mal." Her mother warned as she watched him leave down the hall. "He's a pup now, but all men want the same thing whether on the island or in the seven kingdoms." She reminded her.

Mal ignored her and dressed warmly, as her king had suggested. The ten minutes flew by before she realized as she rushed down the steps quietly and toward the kitchen, unsure just where everyone else was.

Mal navigated the hallways, leading toward the kitchen, or where she thought was the kitchen. She had yet to receive the official tour, but from dinner she could guess where the kitchen was situated. She took a deep breath before she opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find she had been right.

Even though dinner had ended nearly an hour before, the kitchen was still bustling. The smell of fresh baking bread and fresh cut fruit greeted her as she entered and the heat of several bodies greeted her. Though there was no sign of Ben.

She made her way through the aisles of the kitchen where all of the staff seemed to be busy doing something, all working like a well oiled machine shouting orders in French and gossiping it seemed. A few times she caught them describing her.

 _La fille de violette._

Well at least she knew colors and a few words here and there. Everything else she could figure out later. And at least it wasn't a terrible nickname. She'd heard much worse on the island.

She found Ben closer to the back door, working next to an older woman, kneading dough, his hands thick with white flour. She smiled at the sight of him, his sleeves rolled up, hands splattered with flour, face hard in concentration.

"If this is your way to get me to bake for you," Mal began, her arms crossed, he looked up from the dough in his hands and gave her a smile that nearly melted her heart, "then you are mistaken." She felt her voice faltering, but tried to stay strong.

Ben's smile just got bigger. "I am actually baking for you." He explained, "Well for us." He admitted. Then he brought her attention to the older woman next to him, working on her own project. "Mal, this is Mrs. Potts."

Without any more introduction than that, Mrs. Potts pulled Mal into a tight embrace. "So pleased to meet the girl that makes King Ben smile again." She exclaimed, her accent thick and Mal hugged her back loosely, mostly feeling awkward about the whole thing.

Mal had only known him as smiley. She added it to her list of about a thousand questions to ask him later. When Mrs. Potts released her, Ben beckoned her over and positioned her between him and the dough.

"So this might have been a little attempt to have you bake with me." He admitted, standing behind her and guiding her hands to the dough and getting flour on her wrists and hands. "You've never had fresh baked bread when it's still warm, have you?" He asked as he showed her how to knead the dough, his head resting gently on her shoulder.

She shook her head and watched as he worked her hands through the sticky dough. "The best we had on the island was day old bread." She explained, though he already knew that. "But mostly older."

"How was it?" He asked gently and she realized he had never experienced less than fresh bread, or less than fresh anything.

"You know the croutons on salad?" She asked, trying to find a way to describe it where he could understand. "Imagine that, but with all the bread you eat."

She could feel Ben make a face. "I hate croutons already." He explained, "I could not imagine suffering through that daily."

Mal laughed. "You would never survive on the island." She told him, "You're too good with your soft breads and your fresh fruits."

Ben laughed. "It wooed you, didn't it?" He asked. "Who knew you could woo a dragon with strawberries." He continued. "I wonder what she'll do for raspberries." He teased.

Mal laughed. "I guess you'll just have to find out." She continued, turning toward him slightly, her cheek brushing against his. He was so close she could feel his heart beating through his cheek.

Mrs. Potts had conveniently left them alone, Mal noticed, and that only made her hands quake more beneath his. Though she tried to keep her composure.

"So how do you know when the dough is ready?" She asked, turning her attention back to the dough in her hands.

"Usually when your hands start to hurt." Ben answered. "You can beat up on the dough for hours and it will never be too kneaded. Trust me, I know."

Mal was just about to ask him how he knew, when a timer closely dinged. "Close your eyes." Ben told her before he moved away from her and the dough, "and keep kneading." He instructed.

Mal closed her eyes, and continued kneading the dough on her own. She wondered just what Ben had planned. Whatever it was, it excited her.

Mere seconds later Ben returned. "Open your mouth." He whispered and she obliged, shivering as his finger pulled her chin toward him gently.

What came next was the most delicious, warm, gooey mess that she had ever tasted. She had never tasted anything like it on the island, or ever before. She heard Ben start to laugh beside her and she realized the warm touch of his fingers against the side of her mouth.

"You had a little-" he started then paused.

"What was that?" Mal asked, opening her eyes to find him watching her carefully. The tastes all mingled on her tongue, each one enjoyable.

"What do you taste?" He asked, with a satisfied smile.

"Strawberry." She started, "chocolate?" She asked, not entirely sure. "A kind of nutty flavor." She added. "Cinnamon and vanilla?" She asked, not entirely sure.

"Yes." Ben answered, quite excited. "That's our midsummer bread." He explained. "You just got the first taste of the season and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen." He told her, brushing his fingers across her cheek. Mal could feel her cheeks pink up as she looked at Ben. Then he seemed to remember something. "Do you feel up for an adventure?" He asked her. "Or would you rather get some rest after such a long trip?"

Mal let out a short laugh. "I don't sleep much." She admitted, "The night is usually when I get into the most trouble." She gave him a wicked smile.

"I should keep you out of trouble then?" Ben asked, offering her a towel when she nodded. Once she wiped her hands, he offered her his hand. Then he led her out the back door, grabbing a picnic basket on the way.

"You get me in the most trouble." Mal told him as he led her down the path away from the summer castle. "If it weren't for you, I would have the wand." She explained, "if it weren't for you, I could kiss you." She said swinging his arm in hers. "If it weren't for you," she paused, "I would be really sad." She realized as he led her into the trees.

Ben smiled at that. "If it weren't for you," he started, "I would be moping all summer." He admitted. "Baking bread with Mrs. Potts and avoiding my responsibilities." He began to lead her off the path. "I'm still going to avoid some responsibilities," he continued, his smile wicked in the moonlight, "though I can think of other things to keep me entertained." He said, catching a tendril of her hair between his fingers as they stopped and she caught his eyes momentarily before darting away.

"I was thinking of researching in your mom's library tomorrow." Mal explained, practically darting away from him. "Or tonight if I can't sleep." She continued.

"I'll show you when we get back." Ben agreed, leading her through where the trees became thicker and down a barely worn path. "Close your eyes." He told her again, and again she did.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben smiled as Mal gasped when she saw the lake below. If the lake near the school was amazing, this one was absolutely stunning. The trees were close enough to keep them away from any prying eyes and no one else knew about the lake being there but him, so no one could find them there. It was a place where she could be herself without having to please anyone and he figured she would need that.

The blanket was already set out, the candles just needing to be lit, and the basket in his arm full of everything they would need. He just hoped she would be on board with the idea.

"What is this place?" She asked him, turning back toward him, her eyes alight with wonder.

"My dad used to take me to all of his kingly meetings and duties." Ben explained, "Every summer from the time I was five years old, he would sit me in the chair next to him, introduce me as the future king of Auradon and the seven kingdoms, and then make me watch as he handled everything." He explained. "When I was really little, I would run and hide with Mrs. Potts and bake cookies with her." He sat down on the blanket and she followed suite, leaning into him as he lit the few candles. "When I got older, I explored the forest and found this place." An owl hooted loudly in a nearby tree, then another hooted in response.

"So you're going to come here to escape?" She asked him, "Very king like." She told him with a nudge.

He laughed at that. "I can't really escape as often since I am King." He continued, taking her hands in his. "But I figured you could use an escape place too." He said, knowing exactly what he had promised to Maleficent, knowing exactly how stressful the royal life could be. "We could." He revised.

He began pulling out some of the things he had taken from the kitchen. He had figured she wouldn't be very hungry after the disaster of dinner, or maybe she would, but he knew she loved fresh fruits, so she wouldn't go to sleep hungry. She almost immediately went for the strawberries and that made him laugh. He had thought of that, and brought extra.

"Tomorrow, I have to be king." He continued, "Which means a lot of things pulling my attention every way but here." He placed her hand in his on his heart. Mal froze, watching him carefully, strawberry still in her mouth, as cute as ever. "There will be days that you might not see me, or that we'll miss each other," he continued, "but leave me a message and I'll be here as soon as I can, I promise you that." He meant that.

"You can't promise that." Mal answered after several long seconds. "We both have a lot to focus on and you can't know that you will always make it here. I understand that." She placed her hand against his cheek. "You're King." She reminded him, "Your people need you and I can handle that."

It wasn't that he didn't believe her. He wanted to, but he knew that even Audrey had struggled with some of the expectations in the past. "Thank you, Mal." He continued, in the most diplomatic way possible. "But I will be here as soon as I can." He repeated. "You mean a lot to me and I love you." He told her, his eyes on hers.

Her cheeks pinked up again. "I don't know how often I'll call you here." She admitted. "I tend to work better on my own." She continued, and he tried to keep his face even. "I am going to find a way to break this promise without consequences." He accepted that that was her way of revealing her feelings to him. He didn't expect her to always throw around the "L" word so easily, or even at all. He had already told her several times and she had never answered back.

He wanted so badly to tell her of the promise he had made with her mother, but he kept his mouth shut. He took a strawberry before he spoke again. "If things get to be too much, will you meet me here first?" He asked her. "Before you make any decisions to leave?"

"I'm not going anywhere." She answered. "Let your mother try to scare me away." She challenged, and he hoped that was true. She had yet to see the worst of it.

He leaned back and pulled her with him, and looked up at the stars, her head resting against his chest. "Can I try something?" He asked her after several minutes of just being together and watching the twinkling stars in the night sky.

He had been thinking about it for quite a while. Ever since he had been able to kiss her hand. He wanted to try more. So what if they couldn't have an official first kiss? What else could they do?

She turned her head toward him, her green eyes full of questions. "Am I going to have to overpower you again?" She asked with a little satisfied smile, and she had never looked so attractive in the moonlight.

"Are you ever going to let that go?" He asked her gently, his hand resting on her arm. She just shook her head slowly. "I think just telling me 'no' should suffice this time." He decided, definitely not under any kinds of spells or charms.

"Ok," she answered, turning into her stomach and leaning on her elbows. "What do you want to try?" She asked, suddenly curious.

He took a deep breath, wondering how to explain it best. "We talked about lips doing what hands do." He started, capturing her attention. "Would you let me experiment?" He asked, somewhat confident in his abilities and his promises. "All you have to do is say no." He reminded her.

Mal looked him over. "Ok," she agreed after a few long seconds. "But remember that I did grow up on the island." He couldn't forget that if he tried, all of the stories she had told him permanently imprinted in his brain. "And we don't necessarily do well with touches."

The first touch, he asked for. "Can I take your jacket off?" He asked, willing his voice not to falter. She sat up and slipped her leather jacket from her shoulders. That was the easy part.

Ben tentatively reached forward for the buttons on Mal's shirt. She looked down and nodded slowly. The next few buttons gave way easily and Ben knew he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed to see another thin tank top under her shirt. The blush on her cheeks was almost worth it though.

He reached for her shoulders, willing his hands not to shake too much, and slipped the shirt from her shoulders slowly. She laughed and that was not what he expected.

"You know, you shouldn't have asked me to dress so warm if you were just going to strip me." She said.

"If I had asked you to come half naked you would get the wrong impression." He reminded her, his voice gentle as he snuck a finger under the strap of her tanktop gently.

"Do you ask all the girls you bring up here to come half naked?" She asked, "Am I the exception because of the whole kiss for the kingdom thing?" She continued. "Is this your secret make out spot?" She was starting to ramble and Ben laughed at how cute she could be.

"You're the first one I've brought here." He admitted, "You're the first person I've brought to the castle as my guest." He could feel his breath get caught in his chest for a brief moment. "I want you to be the only one." He whispered, bringing his lips to her exposed clavicle.

He could feel her freeze and tense up beneath his lips. It was a long time before she spoke again, her head turning back toward the general direction of the castle. "Is it true that this is where your dad proposed to your mom?" She asked. "I heard in history that he didn't wait too long to propose after the curse was lifted."

"Yes." Ben answered pulling his lips away from her slowly. "You wouldn't be able to tell now, but this was the castle where he had locked himself away and where she lived with him for half the year before she broke his curse." He wondered why she had been so interested in history, then it hit him.

Was she worried he was going to try and propose? If so, who the hell had put that expectation into her head so quick.

"He waited at least a month after he was human again." Ben continued, knowing it wasn't helping his case, "but he was much older than we are now, and there wasn't an issue with true love's kiss there." He continued before he stood. He could sense her nervousness about the whole situation. "Come on." He continued, stripping off his shirt and offering her his hand. "I told you I would teach you how to swim."

"Now?" Mal looked at him like he had grown three heads.

"Why not?" He answered, "It's a nice night and I've been dying to teach you since our date."

Instantly, he knew she was nervous, before she even opened her mouth. "But I-" she started, "I don't have a bathing suit!" She said, staring up at him.

Ben laughed. "You think that bothers me?" He asked. "I had little crowns on my shorts last time."

"They were cute." Mal defended, "You were so excited to show off under my love spell." She laughed.

"What can I say?" Ben answered, offering her his hand again. "I always want to impress you." She took his hand and he helped her to her feet. "Everyone else I've known since I was practically born, and they know me as King and treat me as such. Forced laughs, constant agreeing," He explained, stripping out of his pants. "You are the wildcard." He told her as she laughed.

"You brought the little crowns back!" She exclaimed, at least a little excitement in her voice. He had a feeling that would impress her at least a little bit.

"What can I say?" He answered with a smile, "I never forget the little things." He looked at her, still mostly dressed. "The first rule of swimming," he told her as he sunk to his knees in front of her, "Is don't wear your shoes." He could see her blush as he looked up at her and gently lifted her out of her shoes, one foot at a time.

"You shouldn't be bowing to me." She said quietly as he set her second foot down onto the grass. She seemed almost frightened.

"Why not?" He asked her, staying on his knees. He remembered his father's advice when he had been set up with Audrey two summers before.

 _The only person a king should bow to is the one who has stolen his heart._

"I don't want to be bowed to." She explained, "You are the king and I-" she paused momentarily, "I don't deserve to be bowed to." She continued quieter.

Ben just smiled and kissed her hand. " _You are my girlfriend and you deserve the moon and the stars_." He told her in his native tongue.

She looked at him quite confused and he laughed. He knew he could have some fun with that. Especially as he and his mother taught her more.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her toward the shore of the lake. "I said: you must really want to swim in your clothes." He lied as he set her down on the shoreline, the water lapping at their bare feet. "Last chance, Mal Bertha." He told her with his wickedest smile. "Are you going to swim fully clothed like last time?" He asked her.

"Fine," she huffed, peeling off her pants and tossing them farther up the bank. Then peeling off her tanktop, and tossing it in the same direction. "But if you get distracted and I drowned-" she trailed off as she noticed him staring. "What?" She asked, wondering just what he was thinking about.

Ben brought his gaze back to her eyes. "Are those pink?" He asked with a short laugh. He knew, everyone knew, about her aversion to anything pink. Yet there she was in a matching dark pink bra and panties.

Her cheeks grew a bright red. "It's raspberry." She countered, "way more purple than pink." She told him.

"If you say so, it's going to get wet anyway." He answered, picking her up into his arms again and running into the lake, submerging them both.

She squealed as the chilled water hit her, and that made him laugh. He stopped where he could still stand and where he knew she could barely touch, then he mostly let her go and she floundered, splashing him with large waves.

As with the last time she had tried to swim, he pulled her out, looking like a very cute drowned rat. "You'll get it eventually." He told her, pulling her closer, then looking down at his hand where he had grabbed her to see an oily skin tinged substance staining his fingers. "Mal?" He asked, looking up from his hand to see her looking quite bashful.

"I guess I'm melting," she shrugged before trying to escape his arms, even though she couldn't swim at all. "Guess I should go dry off." That was when he saw it.

The dark ink on her upper arm, only becoming more prominent as the water washed the concealer away. It was two intertwined dragons, one black, one purple, intertwining to make a pointed heart shape. Maleficent's mark and everyone in the kingdom knew it.

He froze for several seconds. "Have you been hiding that this entire time?" He asked, pulling his eyes away from the modification and to her face, probably just as shocked as he felt.

"I-" she seemed at a loss for words, "Yes." She answered honestly, still trying to get back to the beach, but Ben held her close. "I thought that if you saw it, you wouldn't be so quick to be so-" she paused, her brain catching up with her mouth. "I didn't want you to get the wrong impression after the coronation." She explained, "My mom being Maleficent and all."

He had so many questions. "How did I not see it until now?" He asked, "How long have you had it?" He wondered.

"Concealer and concealing spells." She admitted, "And long sleeves." She added with a short laugh. "I thought you would see it after my unexpected dip in the enchanted lake on our first date, but when you were distracted with the shiny rock, I recast the spell." She looked down at the mark, then back up to him. "Does it scare you?" She asked.

"No," he decided, looking back down at it. "But everyone will be looking for any reason to question your motives." They already had been. Then an idea struck him. "Join me on the tour of the nearby provinces tomorrow," he suggested, "And don't cover it up anymore."

Mal seemed to heave a sigh of relief. "As my king commands." She answered with the best bow she could manage in his arms. "So what happens on this tour tomorrow?" She asked, and he could feel a shiver rock through her.

He led her back to the shoreline. "As King it is my duty to be seen and address the concerns of the local provinces and help where I can." He explained, "Though all I can remember my dad doing on most of them was kissing babies and shaking hands." It was meant to be a joke, well sort of.

Mal let out a gasp of fake shock. "You mean he didn't do anything to help those in need?" She asked. "What a shock!" She continued, "Not like we needed help on the island or anything. Not like we didn't sign petitions, beg for fresher food, or more sunshine."

He watched as Mal pulled her pants on roughly. He had said or done something to upset her. "Mal?" He asked, still standing there dripping as she forced her tank top over her dripping hair and her soaked body.

"Did he even think to lift a finger when he found out the nastiest villains were raising children? No!" She began to make her way back to the blanket. "Did he think that maybe it would be a good idea to send us more than trash and rubble?" She turned back to face him. "No! Of course not! Because there were damn babies to kiss and photos to be taken! All praise to King Adam!" She mocked with an over exaggerated bow, her eyes a bright glowing green that he had only seen twice before. Then she began stomping away.

He chased after her, not caring to pick up his clothes and letting the night air tingle on his mostly bare skin. "Mal!" He caught her and spun her around to face him. Who knew what mischief she could get into in the castle with her magic when she was fully angry. "I am king now, and I am going to change things for the better."

Sure, he was still grasping how to run council meetings by himself, and make sure that the budgets balanced at the end of the month, and how to address petty squabbles, but he was king.

"Right." She answered with a smile that was less than her usual, her tone biting. "Haven't heard any promises like that before." She scoffed, pulling her arm from his grip and taking several more steps away from him.

"You're mad at me." Ben realized.

"I'm mad at everyone." Mal answered, pulling on her shirt and jacket roughly and fluffing her hair out of the collar. "I have research to do." She continued, before she continued her way up the well hidden path.

He chased after he again, stopping in front of her and grabbing both her arms gently. "It's my fault." He admitted. "I was the one that made that stupid promise," Well, more than one, but she didn't know about the other one yet, and he wasn't about to tell her when she was already furious. "I should be the one to break it." He reasoned.

"When are you going to have time for that, between the lavish parties, and dinners and council meetings with cute little scones?" She mocked. Her villain side was really showing, her anger mounting and that almost scared him.

But he stood his ground. "I'll find time." He explained, "I want to try and break it by Summer Solstice." He confided in her. "So I can dance the maypole with my girlfriend and kiss her after." He added, hoping something would convince her to put the claws away.

She scoffed. He knew it was a lofty goal, with Summer Solstice barely a month away. "Right, and my mother was the queen of fluffy bunnies." She laughed. "This was a mistake." She realized, "I'll just go crash with Evie and Lady G for the summer."

"NO!" He shouted, starting to feel his own fear turn to anger, like that first doomed council meeting months earlier. He wasn't usually one to reach the angry place first, but if that was what Mal needed. "Give it another chance." He practically begged. He could not let her know about the other promise he had made. "My parents aren't all bad." He continued, trying to think of things to appease her. "Things will get easier." He promised her, even though he knew all about the dangers of promises.

"Fine." She answered, crossing her arms. "But show me this fantastic library tonight." She instructed.

"Your wish is my command." He answered with a bow before gathering his clothes and leading her back into the castle.

* * *

The library could wait.

Mal shut the door to her room behind her quietly even though she wasn't tired. Ben had been regal in his walking her all the way back to her chamber, through the kitchen and the hallways and the thousands of stairs, almost like her mother's dark castle had been, only warmer and friendlier. She had to admit, it was almost too comfortable.

He had walked her across the vast castle to the large double doors of the library in the east wing, showed her a quick peek inside, then left the door open so she could remember if she did get lost. Then he quietly showed her his chamber, and she noted it was the farthest one from hers, go figure.

He walked her back to hers anyway. And that was where he had kissed her hand gently, making her heart leap in her chest, and bade her good night. Maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to anger at things that weren't all his fault.

"You look like someone tried to drown you." Maleficent's voice came from the windowsill. "Did the pup decide waterboarding was an option?" She asked, "Did he find out about your little secret?"

Mal didn't answer right away. She just opened the small tub of maggots and mealworms and dropped a handful in for her mother absentmindedly.

"Be careful, Mal." Her mother reminded her, her mouth full, a wriggling headless maggot in her grasp "Weak hearts are the ones that get broken."

"And hardened hearts are the ones that cannot be mended." She answered, knowing all about her mother's past and her bitterness.

She had seen her despair and not being invited to the christening, and the size of the love in her heart after the coronation. She hadn't grown in size at all since then, she had refused.

"You're not meant for this life kiddo." Maleficent repeated, using an unfamiliar nickname. "You could be more than just Mal." She continued, "Raze this place to the ground and we'll find something to make you truly worthy of my name."

Mal would be lying if she said that wasn't slightly tempting. "No thanks." She answered, standing up from the window seat, "I have a promise to break." She told her before she headed for the adjoining bathroom.

Shower, then library.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Ben awoke with a smile on his face. Usually, when he had had to do a lot of the kingly duties with his father, they had been boring and he would rather be somewhere else. As King, and with Mal there with him, he was almost excited for it.

Mal could watch making paint dry exciting, and then she would probably add a bit of graffiti, for good measure.

He smiled as he dressed, and as he went down the east wing steps toward the sitting room where his parents usually spent the morning before breakfast was served. He half wondered if Mal would be there too.

She was not. It was just his mother, reading over the morning paper, his own face, fresh with a crease in the paper, on the front page, smiling back at him, and his father, playing a game of chess with himself. He was just about to ask if anyone had seen Mal, when a shriek erupted from the upper levels of the castle and only got louder. Ben instantly turned on his heels, hoping it wasn't Mal. Though he had never expected her to shriek like that in her life.

It ended up being one of the ladies in waiting his mother had no doubt assigned to Mal shrieking about how Mal's bed had been empty, only none of the staff preferred to use her name. _La fille de violette_ was what they called her. He figured there were worse things to call her.

" _She probably fell asleep in the library last night."_ He told the lady in waiting before him between her bows, and before he could warn her that Mal did not like to be woken without her fists in the air, the lady was off.

" _You told her about the library?"_ His mother asked, barely looking up from the daily paper. She seemed more surprised than displeased as she looked up at him over her reading glasses.

He was just about to tell his parents about some of the promises he had made, if they didn't already know, when the same scream erupted from the upper levels again.

That time he ran for the library, to find the same lady in waiting holding her cheek, crying about how _la fille de violette_ had hit her. That was what Ben had been afraid of. Of course, in a strange place, with someone speaking to her in a strange language she would be more likely to strike, and probably harder than usual.

" _Let me see it."_ He commanded of the lady, her cheeks already pink with tears. She moved her hand away to reveal a reddening mark and from the looks of it, Mal had struck with his ring on her finger. He pulled her back into the library, but told her to stay back.

She had fallen asleep with her nose in a book, on the floor of all places. Stacks and stacks of books, some open to pages with mysterious markings and dark pictures, others closed and piled high, like a fortress around her. She lay there, her hair spread around her like a dark halo, her fists beneath her. He could help but let out a short laugh. How badly he wanted to wake her with a kiss like the ones he had heard in almost all of the fairytales. But he knew he couldn't.

Instead, he teased her.

Leaning close to her ear, he began to sing softly.

 _I know you,_

 _I walked with you once upon a dream_

 _I know you_

 _The-_

Before he could get any further, her fists began to swing and he dodged, grabbing a wayward wrist when it got close enough. Mal opened her eyes after that and looked around, a little stunned at where she was.

Then she saw Ben. "My mom hates that song." She told him, sitting up from the floor with a small smile. "She used to call me absolutely evil when I would wake her up with it."

Even he smiled at that. "So even the VKs grew up with lullabies." He guessed. "My mom would sing their theme song." He laughed, then hummed a few bars.

"Not exactly." She answered, running her fingers through her wayward hair. "I grew up with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks."

That made Ben laugh. He could totally see Maleficent rocking out to the female rockers of the earlier decades. He was about to ask more, then he realized why he was there.

"Did I hit you?" She asked him, and he shook his head. Then she noticed the lady in waiting near the door. "I hit her." She realized.

Ben tried not to make it sound so horrible, but he nodded. "Think you could do a little healing magic?" He asked her, his voice low, "It might get her on your good side." He suggested.

"Your parents-" she tried to counter, but in reality she had been dying to do a little magic, even he could see that.

"I won't tell them if you don't." He countered before he called the lady over. She came over with shaking steps and he explained it to her, that _la fille de violette_ was going to heal her cheek but she couldn't tell his parents or anyone else.

"Je suis desolee" Mal formed the words before she beckoned the girl closer, and placed the same hand that had struck her back on the girl's cheek.

Ben was impressed. Not only had she apologized, which might have been a first for a VK, but she had done it in his native language without having been taught. Then he saw the open French language book close by in her stacks.

It didn't take very long for Mal to send the girl off, the only trace of the accident, a thin silvery scar below her eye. Then she and Ben were alone again.

"So what is your issue with the chairs, or the settee?" He asked her, helping her up from the floor and out from her fortress of books.

"They were too comfortable." Mal answered, and Ben realized he should have known better. Growing up on the island she must have had the garbage the seven kingdoms and Auradon threw out. Mattresses with springs missing, torn bedsheets, half stuffed pillows. And that must have been the best of the stuff.

Ben placed his hand against her cheek and pulled her toward him into an embrace. "You'll enjoy the carriage on the tour then." He laughed. "Hours and hours and even the cushions become uncomfortable." He explained. "If you are still going." He added.

Mal smirked. "It's a hard choice." She told him, "Spending hours of etiquette lessons with your mom, or sitting in a carriage watching you kiss babies and shake hands. I'm going to have to go with the uncomfortable carriage on this one." She decided.

Ben smiled. "We leave in an hour." He told her, releasing her from his arms. "I'll come and get you then." He told her before he left her in the library.

He had yet to clear that with his parents. Not that he needed to, but since the kingdom was still in transition from his father's rule to his, it was probably not the best idea to release the beast.

* * *

It had been an hour and ten minutes and Mal was beginning to worry. Ben had never been late to pick her up when he had told her a time. If anything, he had always been early. Maybe he had changed his mind and not wanted to take her with him?

She checked herself one last time in the mirror, and chided herself for becoming vain like Evie, then turned her attention back to one of the books she had borrowed from the library. Figuring she might as well put her time to good use.

The only book she had been able to find on short notice was a book of fairy tales. With just a few mentions of faeries, it wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing. Of course the faerie was evil, and she had promised a princess the love of a prince, but had gone back on her promise and had been pulled apart from the inside out. Apparently that was the origin of pixie dust.

Mal didn't know how much stock she put into that idea. She had heard of what happened to faeries that broke their promises, but she had never seen it in person. She just knew it was bad news and apparently there was no way she was going to risk Ben in the whole thing.

A knock came at the door and made her jump. She put the book down, hiding it under her pillow for safe measure and tried not to appear so jumpy as she opened the door to reveal Ben, with a smile on his face.

"Sorry I'm late." He said with a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, looking like a small child, with the golden crown atop his head. "There was a slight disagreement with the security detail." He explained offering her his arm. Instead, she tipped his crown askew on his head with a naughty smile.

It was something that would never get old. "Debating whether you should wear the crown or not?" She asked as she fixed it to be straight again, brushing his bangs down.

"Nope." Ben answered. "You." He explained taking her hand. "My security team seems to think that having you with me will be too many people to protect." She took his arm and he led her down the hallway toward the stairs.

She laughed. "Did you tell them that I can save you?" She asked with a smile, remembering the events of the coronation.

"Not a chance." He answered, "It's my turn to save you." He reminded her as they walked down the stairs and toward the front doors.

She laughed again. "Just keep telling yourself that, Bennyboo." She told him, gently tapping his nose.

"You just watch." He told her as they exited into the bright sunlight. "One of these days I'm going to save you." He turned and leaned closer to her, almost attempting a kiss, "Then you'll be dying to want to kiss me come Summer Solstice." He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Great word choice, Ben." She told him as they reached the path to the stables. "That's what we're trying to avoid." She reminded him, her hand to his cheek.

In an instant, he straightened up and became Kingly before her. She turned to see a tall man in a dark suit and sunglasses looking quite serious. "Bruno," Ben started, moving between the tall serious man and Mal, "C'est Bon. Elle est Mal." He told him. "Ma petite amie."

The guy still didn't seem to ease up, but he did give them more space. "That's Bruno." Ben told her, turning back to face her "Security detail on the tour of the provinces" He explained. "If something happens, he protects me and I protect you." He booped her nose and she wanted so bad to pull him into a noogie, as she used to do with Carlos, just to see his bodyguard's reaction, but she resisted.

She knew he just wanted to show her that he could protect her, and she appreciated that, somewhere deep deep down. He led her toward the carriage, her arm in his.

"So why the carriage if we could ride in a fancy limo?" She asked once they entered the stables, and spotted the exquisitely shined carriage, with two white horses ready to roll.

"Tradition." Ben answered. "For hundreds and hundreds of years, kings and queens have done the first tours of the summer in an open carriage." He sounded like he was quoting a history book as he helped her up into the carriage first. "It promotes honesty and openness." He continued, taking the seat next to her as Bruno climbed in behind them, still as stone faced as ever.

Mal could feel her evilness peeking through. "How much trouble would I get into if I played a trick on Bruno?" She asked in a whisper.

"Beaucoup." He answered, "A lot." He rephrased, leaning into her as the carriage began to move, "Bruno tends to take his job a little too seriously." He explained, pulling a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and slipping them onto his face.

Mal laughed. "Those really complete the look." She told him. The glasses made him look even younger and she was tempted to pinch his cheeks. "Look how cute you are!" She exclaimed as she pinched his cheeks.

"Just wait," he answered with a smile and reaching into a compartment in front of them. "There's a matching pair for you." He handed her the pair of sunglasses. "I have to protect my princess in any way possible." He continued as she put them on. "And you're saved." He told her, wanting so bad to prove to her that he could be her savior.

"From wrinkles." She answered, "So brave my king." She told him as the carriage passed over the drawbridge. "And who do you think you're calling a princess?"

"I try." He answered with a laugh, avoiding her question entirely. "So, feel like working on your French between provinces?" He asked her. "I'll make it worth your while." He continued.

"It is better than being stuck in a library all day learning from a book." She decided. French lessons with Ben could be considered fun, especially the way he peppered phrases throughout their time together. Just the way his mouth moved and formed the words made her love the language that much more.

* * *

The first few miles flew by like they were nothing, with Ben pointing out landmarks and colors and teaching her simple phrases. Nothing too complicated, and she really couldn't hold conversation quite yet, but it was a start.

The first province was the nicest, the closest to the castle and therefore the richest. It didn't take a lot of brain work for Mal to see that. Even growing up on the island, she knew that those closest to the leaders and the royalty got the best of the best. As if proximity mattered. She also noticed that Bruno seemed more calm in that province than the others.

In that province, the people didn't even seem like they were interested in Ben as the king, but more the gossip of the kingdom and Ben as a potential bachelor. Typical rich princess types. It was like Auradon Prep all over again. Still, she didn't let the drama get to her, and neither did Ben. He just held her hand and gave the usual speech about being their new king and that he would listen to their concerns. Or so she guessed.

She could pick out some words, so it was pretty much blah blah blah, King, blah blah blah, Duty, blah blah blah Honor. She knew when to smile and wave when he mentioned her name and the term girlfriend.

She loved watching their faces fall when he mentioned that. It made her evil little heart beat just a little sweeter, and it made her smile.

In that first province, they did not receive many gifts. In the provinces that followed, the ones that didn't have as much as the first few, they received more gifts such as fresh cheese, or fresh baked bread. It seemed the less the provinces had, the more they gave, and the more Bruno seemed to get uncomfortable.

Ironically, Mal became more comfortable. It was easier to relate to the people of the poorer provinces, since she had been there herself. She could see herself in the dirty hungry faces of the children that chased the carriage and made Bruno seem to twitch. Several times she almost stopped the carriage to give the dirty malnourished children the bread from earlier or the cheese that was melting in the hot sun. She knew Ben definitely wouldn't eat it later, but she stopped, knowing the provinces would only get worse the farther they traveled.

Ben warned her before they reached the last province. " _This village is the worst_ " he spoke quietly, as if he would scare awake terrible demons if he spoke louder. "I would have passed through, but that is not very king like." He decided.

It wasn't a huge shock when they pulled up to the town square and no one came out to greet them. As they traveled through each province it seemed less and less people came out. The small village itself looked deserted. The walls, dark and dingy, graffiti everywhere, Windows smashed and dark with years of grime it seemed. It reminded her of the isle, in several ways.

The driver was about to continue on, no use staying in the dingy dark town if there was no one to orate to, and the sun was beginning to make its descent toward the horizon. It didn't seem like the best place to be when the darkness of night came. Mal wished she could do more as the carriage lurched forward, then she saw a pair of eyes that quickly disappeared behind a dingy curtain.

She didn't know what had come over her, but she jumped over Ben and out of the moving carriage, chasing the small child, hitching up her skirts to make her feet move more efficiently. Ben's voice shouting behind her to come back, she imagined Bruno holding him back.

"Wait!" She shouted in English, then rephrased in French. Catching up the the child and grabbing her arm quickly before she could slip away.

The child couldn't have been older than ten and skinnier than a rail. Judging by what Mal could see, and how she acted, she hadn't eaten for days, possibly even weeks. Judging by her screams, she was scared out of her wits.

" _It's ok_." Mal told her, her voice shaking with uncertainty between pants. " _I know you're hungry_ " She spoke slowly. " _Everyone is hungry_?" She asked, hoping the child would understand.

The child nodded and Mal knew that look of devastation. She had the feeling that she should do something. Though Ben and his parents might not be happy about it.

" _Wait_." Mal told her before she walked back to the carriage slowly and deliberately. She just hoped the little girl would wait.

Ben's face seemed to relax as soon as he saw her returning. "Give me the bread." She asked, standing below the carriage steps, Ben staring at her as if she was crazy. "You're not going to eat it anyway." She told him and she knew she was right. Still he stared.

"Mal," he spoke after several long seconds, his fear unmistakeable "Get in the carriage." She stayed where she was. "If you give them food, they will expect more." Spoken like a typical king that didn't understand, would never understand what it was like to be hungry. "If we cater to them, everyone will expect something. We can't upset the delicate balance of the provinces."

His words only made her more angry, and she began to understand why his home country was once in turmoil over the royalty and chopping off their heads like it was going out of style.

"Give me the damn bread or leave me here." She argued, one hand on her hip, her eyes glaring at him. She had never wanted to cast evil magic on him more than she wanted to at that moment, damn Bruno, his eyes trained on her like a hawk.

After a long wait, glaring and all, he finally handed over the bread. She knew she could probably argue for the cheese and some of the fruit too, but instead, she took the bread and ran, leaving Ben shouting her name again as she darted through the alleyway.

The child had stayed in the alley, hidden behind a collapsing cardboard box. Mal handed over the bread and the little girl took it hesitantly.

" _It's ok_ " Mal repeated, "I will bring more when I can" she said, knowing that the summer castle threw more food away in one night than that entire province could eat in a week. " _But not purple_ , _"_ she said, indicating to her hair _, "red."_ She tried to convey the message, then ended up chromosome shifting before the girl. _"My name is Bertha."_ She told the girl who had screamed when she shifted. It was the first name she had thought of, and the girl seemed to understand.

Mal shifted back into herself, and walked back toward the carriage, the sudden exhaustion of the day hitting her. She collapsed into the carriage seat next to Ben. Things were silent and tense between them for several long minutes, but she stood by her choices.

She knew she had to go back when she could.


	10. Chapter 10

Ben could feel that Mal was angry at him. She didn't have to say anything, but just the way she leaned against the opposite side of the carriage and kept her hands to herself, not looking at him at all, he knew. Audrey knew how to play those games well, and it seemed Mal was no different.

He knew he had to fix that. So he tapped the driver and told him to stop the carriage. Mal finally looked at him, her eyes unsure. He could sense Bruno's gaze on him, and he could hear him questioning his motives, but he didn't care.

He turned to Mal, still steaming on the inside, yet cold as ice staring at him. "It's getting kind of stuffy." He told her, offering her his hand. He wondered if she would even take it. "Let's get out of here." He suggested. He decided he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

He instructed the driver to unhook one of the horses and then turned back to Mal, offering her his hand again. When she just stared at it, her anger almost tactile, he turned back to the driver and Bruno. " _Ensure that Miss Mal gets back to the castle safely and tell my parents not to worry."_ He told them before he removed his crown and left the carriage.

He walked toward the freed horse and soothed it with a gentle hand and a gentle whisper. He took the reigns from the driver and continued to whisper to the most likely exhausted horse. He wanted to wait as long as he could, hoping Mal would ease up a bit the longer he did.

He waited for the carriage to start moving, lurching forward before he hopped onto the horse and eased it forward through the path in the trees. Maybe he and Mal did need some time apart after being so close for so long. They hadn't really spent more than a few hours apart since they had gotten together officially a few weeks after the coronation.

He let the horse walk for a few long minutes, thinking about how he had been in the wrong in that small province. He had given the answer his father would have. But as he had found before, with the dalmatians and the dwarves, he didn't have to rule the same way his father did. He could be more lenient to the poor provinces and allow them to thrive under the right circumstances.

Mal had been right, he wasn't going to eat the bread that had been out in the sun for most of the afternoon, or even the cheese. He had acted the fool, but there was no way he was about to turn back and tell her. Especially if she was still playing the Ice Queen.

The horse jumped at a sound of a scuffle in the trees close by and Ben reigned the mare in before it became too skittish with a gentle whisper and a soothing hand. When it happened again in less than five minutes, and he soothed the mare again, he turned to see what was spooking the horse. When he saw nothing, he just continued to stare at the path behind him, waiting for something to move.

"I thought you would never slow down," Mal's voice came from the trees, making both him and the horse jump at her unexpected appearance. He wasn't sure what to say to her, so he just watched her. "Your driver and Bruno sure know how to bore a girl to near death," She continued, "I was practically wishing for the dragon's eye curse." That made him laugh and just like that, the Ice Queen had thawed.

He hopped off the horse and tethered her to a sturdy looking tree branch, then he turned his attention back to Mal. "I thought you were pissed at me," He began, taking a few timid steps toward her. He figured she might be just as skittish as the horse if he wasn't careful.

"I was," She answered with a nod and a shrug, "but between you and the silent twins for six more hours, there's no contest." She explained. "And the carriage was getting stuffy."

He crossed the rest of the distance to her and then stopped just short of pulling her into his arms. He wasn't sure he wanted the princess of evil still mad at him at such a close range. He had never seen her with such an icy anger before, the type of anger that told him she was plotting.

She watched him just as carefully as he watched her. "Besides," she continued, "I couldn't let my king wander the forests alone. He might need saving."

That made him laugh again, then he realized. "I am supposed to save you." He answered when he realized exactly what she had said. He figured it was as good of a time as ever. "I was wrong." He told her, leaning down before her on the dirt path and he could see the blush rise to her cheeks. "I'm still figuring out this whole king thing." He told her, taking both of her hands. "I'll bring it up to the council and put something in place." He said, "but I want you to come with me to the council." He explained.

If she went with him, it would be easier for him to remember what he wanted to change, all the stories he had heard from her and the other VKs, all that he had seen in the provinces near his own castle. If Mal was there with him he could be more level headed, he found.

She laughed, trying to pull him up to his feet, but he stayed where he was. "Of course." She said, "Because having a VK, the daughter of Maleficent no less, at the right hand of the king isn't unnerving at all."

"I don't care." Ben answered, "VK or not, you are a citizen of Auradon and I want you there." He told her, kissing her hand. "Please say you'll be there." He asked.

"Only if you get up." Mal agreed after several seconds, and he knew he had her.

"The best way to a woman's heart is to get on your knees." Ben remarked before he stood. He didn't mean it any other way than bowing to her, but the way the blush crept up her cheeks again, he knew she was thinking something else. The leap wasn't that far.

"You are French." She reminded herself quietly. "I should expect nothing less." She laughed as he stood, brushing the dirt from his knees. "And if you insist, I'll be at your council thing." She agreed.

He smiled at that. "So are you hungry?" He asked her, leading her back to the horse, her hand in his.

"For frog's legs and snails?" She asked, "Not really." She answered.

"I was thinking something more simple." He answered, as he steadied the horse so she could climb up. "Climb up." He told her.

"Don't tell me you have a picnic basket and a hidden lake stashed close by." She answered with a nervous smile, seeming to size up the horse with a critical eye.

"Unfortunately not." He answered, realizing she had probably never ridden a horse. "But there is someone very important to me that you have yet to meet." He revealed, untying the mare from the branch and hoping on the horse himself, offering her his hand. "Put your hand here." He told her, pointing to the horn of the saddle, "And one foot here." He shook the stirrup with his foot gently. "Then let me do the rest." He instructed.

She did as he asked and he lifted her onto the horse, seating her in front of him, her skirts fluffed high, as she sat sidesaddle. He had forgotten how many skirts went into making a dress look stunning, and how inopportune it was to ride with them. If he wasn't careful, she might slide right off. Not really the best series of events, especially after she had already been steamed with him.

"Lean into me." He instructed, holding the reigns steady as Mal readjusted. To be fair he hadn't really ridden double saddle before, well not with a beautiful girl at least. Then he adjusted, wrapping his arms around her waist and gripping the reigns tight. "Ready?" He asked her after a few seconds of making sure he could guide the horse with her there.

She nodded and he knocked his heels into the mare to spur her on. Mal squealed and held onto his wrists tightly, her eyes screwed shut, or so he guessed as her hair tickled his chin, the familiar rose scent from the showers a very welcome aroma as they rode through the trees. He couldn't help but laugh, and he let the mare trot for a while, waiting for Mal's grip to lessen. They hadn't even reached the mare's full speed yet and at that pace it would take them days to get to their destination.

"Hold on tight." Ben told her once her grip eased on his wrists. If she had reacted to the horse's trot in such a way, he couldn't wait to see her reaction to a gallop.

"To what?" She asked, looking for anything to hold on to. He realized there really was nothing for her to hold onto so he wrapped his arm around her tightly, the reins in his other hand.

Then he eased the horse into a gallop and felt her lean into him, her grip tense, her entire body tense like she would break if she relaxed. "Just relax," he told her gently, as they flew through the trees. He couldn't help but smile, though it felt wrong.

He was technically saving her, not from anything huge, like a dragon, but from falling off of a horse. It was at least something.

* * *

Mal was never so relieved to see the spire of a church in the distance. She knew they hadn't been riding that long, but at a full gallop, it might as well have been hours. Even through all of the skirts, her butt had gone numb and her hips ached.

As the little province became bigger and Ben slowed the horse down to a slow walk, she began to wonder where they were and where they were going as they zig zagged through the buildings and the cobblestone streets. It had to be a place Ben knew. They hadn't been so lax in the other provinces, and it had to be somewhere he was safe, or Bruno and the driver would not have let him leave so easily.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking around at the cozy little place as they passed several shops.

"Care to guess?" He asked her, as he led the horse farther away from the center of town and she really didn't care to guess. "You can't tell me Gaston didn't brag over on the island." He continued after a few seconds and she smiled once the realization hit her.

"He didn't like to brag about the woman who got away," she answered with a little smile, "but it was always fun to tease Uncle Gaston." Then she hummed the song Gaston had used to rile the villagers and the tune that he had hated, but the isle children had loved to taunt him with.

That made Ben laugh. "Uncle Gaston?" He asked, and she laughed too. "That is a strange thought." He continued.

She figured he had only been told terrible stories about Gaston, and he didn't even know about his boys and their monstrous appetites. "He could probably rival Lady G for most time spent ogling a mirror." She continued. "His boys however," she continued, "Gaston junior and Gaston the third, were human wrecking balls." She continued with a small giggle as Ben eased the horse to a stop in front of a small cottage.

He slid from the mare and offered her his hand to help her down. Her legs threatened to buckle beneath her when they hit the dirt, but he caught her with little effort.

Then he led her up the few steps and knocked briefly before opening the door and leading her inside. "Grand-père!" He called out in the darkened hall.

She understood as soon as she saw the aged man come out into the hall and throw up his cane in surprise, then rush forward with surprising agility and scoop Ben up in excitement as if he were a just child.

Mal laughed as the blush crossed his cheeks as the old man spun him around in what Mal could only imagine was love. "Grand-père," he responded with an embarrassed smile, "Cette ma petite amie, Mal." He said, turning the attention to her.

Surprisingly, his grandfather pulled her into a strong hug, lifting her off of her feet and that was the second person close to Ben that had hugged her so tightly.

After that, they broke into quick French and Mal struggled to keep up.

"Est-Elle la une?" His grandfather asked. "La jeune fille qui va le casser?"

"J'espère." Ben answered with a smile that showed her that they were talking about her, even though she could only pick up a few words here and there. "Mais il y a une problème." He continued. "Je promis le royaume pour un baiser." He continued with an embarrassed shrug.

"Tu vas la marier?" His grandfather asked, though it didn't seem much like a question, more like a suggestion.

"J'ai seulement seize ans!" Ben answered, shocked at his grandfather's words, whatever they were.

"Benjamin!" His grandfather responded with a knowing glance. That word she knew. "Je me suis mariée à ta grand-mère quand j'avais seize ans."

"Oui," Ben answered and Mal could tell he had heard those words strung together that way several times before. "Quand le peste noire pourrait vous tuer."

"Benjamin Florian!" Another female voice came from down the hall as a woman came out into the hall and from the sounds of it, he was about to be punished. "Roi ou non-" she stopped when she saw Mal. "You must be Mal." She said in English and Mal had never been so glad to hear English.

She closed the distance between them and pulled Mal into a tight hug as well. Mal figured it must be a culture thing, but she had come to accept it.

"Nous parlerons plus tard." Ben told his grandfather, then turned to the woman, just releasing Mal from the tight hug. "Jeanette is my grandfather's caregiver." He explained to Mal.

"You two look famished." Jeanette said, looking them both over. "How do you expect to run a kingdom if you're skin and bones?" She asked, pinching Ben's arm lovingly. "And don't even get me started on Miss Mal!" She laughed. "Tell me you'll stay for dinner." She requested of them.

Mal had never been so excited to hear those words.


	11. Chapter 11

Mal had never felt more comfortable at a dinner table as she had with Ben and his family. It was much more comfortable crammed around the small aged wood table than it had been dining with his parents the night before. Perhaps it was because there were no expectations to eat snails or weird animals grilled over gold or something more ludicrous. Perhaps because it was there weren't seven courses that each required a new piece of silverware. Perhaps because she didn't have to impress them as much and they didn't care if she mispronounced a word in their native language or use improper grammar. Perhaps it was how close, and how comfortable she and Ben had been able to sit without anyone staring daggers.

Either way, it was much more comfortable. Especially the stories Jeanette and Ben's grandfather told about the new king himself, the ones that made his cheeks pink up in embarrassment and made her laugh.

"Then Ben, covered in dirt from head to toe, roared at the thing that has chased him out of the trees," Jeanette translated for Maurice, trying to keep her giggles from overpowering the end of the story, "Only to find that it had been a rabbit wanting the wild carrots he had picked for his mother. The poor rabbit nearly keeled over."

Everyone laughed at that, Ben's cheeks nearly on fire. "Do you face all your problems that way?" Mal asked him, remembering how he had roared before he had jumped into the enchanted lake and before he had attempted to save her from her mother. It had been cute.

"Only to impress you," He answered smoothly, turning it back onto her and making her blush. "And it was how my dad dealt with his problems for nearly a decade," He continued, though Mal sensed there was more to it than just that. "It's like a war cry," He continued. "And a huge confidence boost."

"And it's so cute, Little Benny Foo Foo," Mal answered, reaching over to him and pinching his cheeks. Even his grandfather laughed as Ben blushed yet again.

"So what about you, Mal?" Jeanette asked for Maurice. "Any fun childhood memories?"

It wasn't like they didn't know where she had grown up. Mal set her fork down and looked up at them all. Most of her memories from childhood were not fun, or heartwarming like Ben's had been. Though there was one.

"I was six when I found my first can of spray paint in the market place," She explained, thinking back to the day that she had been brave enough to venture outside of her mother's imposed fortress on her own. "It was half empty, but just the sound it made as the black paint disfigured King Adam with an eyepatch and a curly mischievous mustache was so satisfying." Then she seemed to realize who she had been talking to, and that the table was silent. They were all staring at her, quite concerned it seemed.

She knew she had to think of something else to say, something to change the subject. Then Maurice let out a loud laugh and slammed his hand against the table, laughing hard.

"He says my dad deserved to be taken down a few pegs after leaving such a wonderful young woman on the island." Ben translated for his grandfather, the blush continuing to spread across his cheeks as his eyes met hers. She felt her cheeks heating up too.

"Tu vas l'épouser," his grandfather said, and Ben's eyes moved from hers to look toward his grandfather. It was something neither Jeanette or Ben wanted to translate right away. "Je le sais," He added.

Ben just shrugged it off. "D'accord, grand-père," he answered, pulling the half full wine glass from his grandfather's grasp. "Assez de vin," He continued. "Peut-être vous avez besoin de sommeil."

His grandfather stared him down, a certain determination in his eyes. "She will be the one to break the curse." He said in slow deliberate English, and Mal just stared from Maurice to Jeanette, and finally to Ben. "She makes you better and you will-"

"Grand-père!" Ben cut him off with a shout, "tu lui effrayer." He explained a little quieter. "un mois ne suffit pas de savoir que cela va se produire"

Mal watched as the tension thickened, Ben and his grandfather both staring each other down, looking like they were about to duel. She wondered just what was going on. A curse? On who, and how could she break it? She was usually the one casting the curses, or learning about how her mother used to cast them on prissy pink princesses. Could they be talking about the oath Ben had made?

"Who wants dessert?" Jeanette asked as she stood from the table, obviously sensing the tension too. "I made your favorite, Ben," She continued.

Mal stood up and put her hand on his shoulder, easing him back. She had heard all the stories about his father and his anger and she wasn't sure she wanted to see it firsthand. "It's okay," She said, then she switched to his native language when he didn't seem to want to listen. "C'est Bon." She told him, stroking his cheek, because it seemed like the right thing to do. She had no idea what was going on, and that she probably shouldn't step into family matters, but it felt right. "Just relax," she continued in English, as he responded to her, not trusting anymore of the new language.

"She is good for you." His grandfather continued in the slow English. "There is no arguing that." He continued.

"Mal," Jeanette spoke, "Would you like to have some tarte tartin?" She asked.

At the mention of food, Ben seemed to ease. "It's like an upside down pie, with the crust on the bottom," He explained, when he realized she didn't know what it was. "And we don't have to stay if you don't want to," He continued.

She knew things were slightly uncomfortable, but given the choice between the horse and the possibility of dessert, the choice was pretty simple. "I don't mind," She answered. His grandfather and Jeanette were easier to handle than his parents and all of the servants. She knew it was selfish, but any amount of alone time with Ben where he wasn't rushing off to meetings with a crown on his head, she would take.

Ben sat back down and then the tension seemed to ease.

* * *

He knew he shouldn't have yawned. That was his mistake that had set the whole thing rolling out of proportion. It had started Mal yawning too and then he knew they were doomed.

"It's late," Jeanette told them, and Ben knew exactly where it was heading. "There's no way you're riding back to the castle tonight." His grandfather agreed with a nod, looking almost satisfied with the way things had turned out.

" _You can use your mother's old room."_ His grandfather explained. " _I won't tell your parents if you don't."_ He continued, and Ben realized he wouldn't let up. Especially since Mal seemed to be reacting the way he wanted her to.

Still, she seemed happier than she had been at the castle and he had noticed that as soon as they had sat down to dinner. She had been able to relax with Jeanette and his grandfather in a way that she hadn't with his parents. He thought about the promise they were trying to break.

His kingdom for her kiss.

And how he would have gladly made the exchange, if not for the addendum that had been attached.

His kingdom for her kiss over her dead body.

That wasn't something he would so easily give. But maybe they were making it too difficult. He had seen how tense she had been with his parents and the servants, and the stark contrast to the tour in the small town with the bread and even with his grandfather.

Would he give up the crown to live a normal life with her?

Yes, he thought he would. If only she said the word, he would follow her anywhere, just be Ben and Mal together wherever they ended up.

He knew he wasn't thinking exactly straight, but he knew he wasn't being spelled. It was love, and anyone who didn't agree- well they had never been in it, had they?

"I'll take the couch," Mal spoke, standing from the table. "You can have the bedroom," She reasoned, before moving away from the table and toward the living room.

"No way," Ben answered, following her. "You're taking the bed, I'll take the couch." There was no way he was leaving her alone with his grandfather. He had almost said too much already.

"Ben," Mal argued, too tired to call him a cutesy nickname, even in her usual snarky way, "You are the king. Kings don't take couches."

So it was that argument again. Or maybe not. He hefted her up over his shoulder and headed for the stairs before she could fight him off. "You're taking the bed," He told her, not about to take no for an answer as he took the stairs, her arms flailing wildly, her legs kicking under the thick skirts, not hurting him in the least. It made it almost comical. "I'll take the floor," He decided.

" _You're going to marry that girl!"_ His grandfather called from the bedroom down the hall where Jeanette was helping him into the doorway with his cane. " _Long live the Beast King and his Purple Queen."_ He shouted in mock merriment and a huge overstated bow that made Jeanette shriek audibly.

" _Quiet down, old man!"_ Ben answered back. " _Go to bed,"_ He continued, before he shut the door behind him and set Mal on her feet. Then, as soon as they were alone, all of the tension about his grandfather's words and his predictions seemed to melt away. Then there was just Mal. "Hi," He said, his voice gentle and soft. He was relieved she had come with him after the tense events of earlier in their tour of the provinces.

"Hi," She answered back, a small smile playing with the corner of her lips. Then she leaned closer and he could swear she was going in for a kiss, then he realized his stupidity as his heart beat hard in his ears. "You're still taking the bed," She whispered into his ear.

He laughed. "Does your king have to punish you for going against his decrees?" He whispered back, his mind traveling to a thousand places after both his grandfather's words and the idea of punishing Mal in that cute little low cut, fluffier than fluffy dress with about a thousand and one skirts all in the shade of purple that made her seem unrealistically perfect. Being alone with her in a bedroom was doing nothing for his willpower, whether it was his mother's childhood bedroom or not.

"By making me take the floor?" She asked, her cute little smile back on her cheeks and in her eyes, "I think that would be the best course of action," She said.

"Mal Bertha," He said with a tired laugh, "You drive me crazy." He turned her toward the small bed, hoping he could convince her that her desire for sleep outweighed her need to put him before herself. "The bed is yours. End of discussion." He hoped that would be enough.

"Benjamin Florian," She answered back, one full name deserving another he guessed, "Excuse my French, or don't," She continued, turning around to face him again "but: Tu es une pomme de terre avec le visage d'un cochon d'inde."

He could tell she had been waiting to use that one for a long time. One from the collection of the rubbish on the isle of the lost, or so he guessed. It was childish insult, but it could have come from the section his parents had tried to erase. Still he laughed. It wasn't the worst thing she could say.

"The mouth on you!" He joked, faking shock, and bringing his hands to her sides to tickle her, backing her up toward the bed. "I've heard worse insults from Dude!" He joked, using some of her own words, his fingers working deftly to tickle her through the thin silk, getting her to try and give in and take the bed.

She giggled and tried to fight him off, reaching for his wrists when she could, but had limited success as he had boxed her in, the bed directly behind her, his hands too fast to catch. He was sure he had never seen her laugh so hard, or so hearty as when he tipped them backwards and landed with a soft bounce on the bed, still tickling her.

"Say Uncle!" He told her, tickling her with no reprieve, most of his weight holding her down as she tried to wrestle free under him, her giggles nearly infectious as he tried to remain mostly serious. "Say you'll take the bed," He continued, leaning closer to her, his fingers playing her like a fiddle.

"Uncle! Uncle!" She cried out, her giggles breathless, her head leaned back against the mattress, her neck stretched out, so tempting to just want to attack with his lips. He stopped tickling her to just stare. "But you are taking the bed," She continued once she caught her breath, rolling over into him and trapping him between her and all the fluffy skirts, her very padded knee in his chest.

"Compromise?" He asked after a few seconds, knowing she wasn't about to give up her position until he agreed to take the bed. He was too tired to do any more tickling. She looked at him, sizing him up, almost as if she wondered what trick he was trying to pull. Growing up with Jay, she had to be that way, he supposed.

"I'm listening," She answered, watching him carefully, her weight evenly distributed so he couldn't push her off if he did have all his energy.

"Share it with me," He suggested. He hadn't wanted to jump to that right away, not wanting to seem too eager. "We're both going to need rest for the ride back tomorrow," He reasoned. And they had shared a bed before, though not on purpose. "I promise to elbow you a few times so you don't get too comfortable," He continued, knowing she might say the bed would be too comfortable, it was meant to be a joke, but if he could have that extra time with her, why not?

She seemed to think about it for several seconds. "Ok," she agreed, and he figured she would, it was rule breaking, and scandalous, "but if anyone asks, I slept on the floor," She told him, removing her weight from him and rolling over next to him.

He laughed. He wanted to argue, but that was an argument for another time. "Ladies first," He told her, waiting for her to stand to get ready for bed. There was no way she was sleeping in that huge skirt, right?

"Kings before beauty," She responded and he was too tired to argue anymore. What did it matter anyway? He had won the real victory.

"I will be right back," He told her, tapping his index finger to her nose, then moving toward the small washroom. He half hoped she would be naked when he returned, then shook the idea away. That was not something he wanted to jump into like it was nothing. Besides, where would the fun be in that if he couldn't kiss her and mean it?

He rinsed his face with the cold water, the hydration cooling against his skin after being in the sun for most of the daylight hours, and the strong wine his grandfather had kept for decades. It also cooled the fire in his brain at thinking about Mal naked. Damn his grandfather for putting thoughts like that in his head from the very start of their visit. He took a few minutes, just leaning against the sink, trying to pull his thoughts back in order, the wine apparently going to his head, which it rarely had before. Or had it been Mal herself?

After several minutes he entered the room again to find Mal under the blankets, the poofy skirts and the dress folded as neatly as possible in the chair close to the door. At first glance it did appear she was naked under the sheets, then he saw the thin straps of the sheer slip peeking out on her shoulders. She was waiting for him, her head leaning on the palm of her hand.

"You are wearing too many clothes," She told him, with a sly smile and he couldn't help but smile back. Somehow this act of consciously sleeping- just sleeping- together was different, exciting somehow.

"You're more than welcome to come and undress me," He told her, feeling just slightly wicked. The wine and good food and family atmosphere going to his head more than he had expected it to.

She leaned back against the pillows, her violet hair fanning against the pale yellow pillowcase, then she turned to face him again. "How about I just tell you what to take off?" She asked, snuggling against the blankets.

"I suppose I could work with that," He agreed. "What first, my lady?" He asked, giving her a short bow and a cheeky smile. It was a great way to gage where her thoughts were. "En français, sil vous plaît," He requested, never one to throw away a teaching opportunity.

"What's the French for Waistcoat?" She asked him, and he told her as he unbuttoned the buttons slowly, knowing she was watching, and slipped it from his shoulders. "So what curse was your grandfather talking about?" She asked, "And what made you so- beastly?" She wondered. What an appropriate choice of words.

He had a feeling she would ask, but he had been able to think of a few answers, besides the real one, that would appease her. "My grandfather thinks it's a curse that I can't kiss such a beautiful woman," He explained, feeling slightly uneasy about lying to her. "And that you will break it by kissing me first," He continued, thinking about all his grandfather had said in English. "I think he likes you better than Audrey," He added, knowing it was slightly evil, but hoping it would distract her enough.

"La chemise," She instructed, once he had attempted to fold the waistcoat. "He's right," She continued, "I am going to break it first, especially when you have all of the seven kingdoms wanting your attention."

He tore the shirt from his shoulders and threw it toward her pile, getting too lazy to fold it. He was getting tired of being on display. He made his way toward the bed and began to lean over her. "I am going to break it first," He told her, leaning so close that their noses were almost touching. "It's my turn to save you and I am going to save you."

"Hey!" She continued, "Get back over there," She instructed. "I wasn't done with you."

He didn't have much more to lose. Even she seemed to know that, but he stayed where he was. "I didn't think you knew any more French words for clothes," He teased her, before he stood to his full height again. "You're not trying to take advantage of me, are you?" He asked her, his voice low. He half wondered if she was, and how creative she could get without her lips.

She laughed. "King or not," she began, "I am not letting you in this bed with your socks and shoes." Then she rephrased. "Les chaussettes et les chaussures."

Ben realized she did have a point. "Color me impressed," He told her. "I mentioned those in passing," He continued, untying his shoes and slipping them off, then his socks. "What next my princess?" He asked, the nickname or not so nickname slipping from his tongue.

She laughed a short laugh. "Me, a princess?" She asked, "You must have had too much wine," She continued as she looked him up and down. " Le Pantalon I'm debating," She explained.

"Debating?" He asked, his eyebrows raised, as a blush crept up her cheeks. "Just what are you debating?" He wondered. "Whether I will be a perfect gentleman or whether you can keep your hands to yourself?" He wondered, wanting so bad to touch her, pull her to him and tease her.

"Both?" She answered, propping herself up on the pillow, keeping her eyes on him. "I just don't want to rush into anything just because we can't properly kiss."

He gave her a little grin. "I may lead Auradon and the Seven kingdoms," he started, "but as far as our relationship goes, you lead, I follow," He told her. "Alors, pantalon ou non?" He asked.

"Whatever you are more comfortable with," She answered.

"No," He answered, not letting her get out of that one so easily. "Whatever you are comfortable with," He told her.

She looked him up and down one more time, the blush easing from her cheeks. "Pantalon," She said, "but if you get too excited, I'm sleeping on the floor," She explained.

He stripped out of his pants and then moved back over to the bed. "If you get too excited, I'll take the couch," He answered back, climbing over her and laying next to her with a sigh.

"You're the one that gets all handsy and weird," she answered back with a yawn, reminding him of the time that he was under the lust spell.

He turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her though she was under the blankets. "Only because I have to keep reminding myself that you're real," He explained, snuggling her close.

"You are a shameless flirt," She told him tiredly.

Ben laughed. "Are you complaining?" He asked her, then he realized he should probably be more honest with her about the next couple of weeks and what to expect. "This is kind of new for me," He explained into her hair. "Audrey and I were set up from when we were practically babies," He explained.

Mal turned to face him as much as she could. "More royal traditions?" She asked, and Ben could tell she didn't agree with them.

"Something like that," He answered. "How much do you remember from History?" He asked her.

"Your father was elected," Mal said, almost as if she was quoting from the history book itself, "but it came down to an agreement that when the eldest heirs of the former princes and princesses reached sixteen there would be another election for the new king, to prevent one family from having too much power," She had a thing for memorization and Ben knew it.

Ben nodded. "Unless the King had a male heir," He added. "There wasn't an election before you and the others came to Auradon," Ben admitted, "Because I am the only male heir of King Adam, it automatically went to me." He thought about how he had wanted it, how he had been primed for it from the womb basically, and how Mal, spelled cookie and all, had threatened to change that.

"Phillip and Aurora wanted the best for Audrey, and convinced my parents that every king needs a queen eventually. So we were shoved together at every reunion ball of the seven kingdoms and every chance they got, we spent together," He explained, his fingertips dancing across her hip over the blanket absentmindedly. "It seemed like the right thing to do when my dad suggested I ask her out two years ago."

"You two went out for two years and you didn't kiss at all?" Mal asked, and the way she phrased it made it sound like torture. Then he remembered it had been torture. Not at all like things were with Mal.

"It was," He admitted. "She was so concerned with being the perfect princess, saving her first kiss for the perfect Prince," He continued, not wanting to tell her more than he should. "She was so concerned that the tabloids would think we were too open, too experimental before we were officially engaged," Things had been suffocating with Audrey, he realized. "She would only let me kiss her hand when we would make our rounds in Auradon."

"And then she kissed Chad to get your attention," Mal continued. "After the tourney game."

He hadn't even realized. He had been so focused on Mal and her approval that day, under the spell of the cookie. "It wasn't love between Audrey and I," He admitted, "It was duty."

"And this?" Mal asked, and that made Ben study her hard, "I can't imagine Aurora and Phillip are going to accept that you left their daughter for the daughter of their sworn enemy," She continued.

"This is easy," He admitted, in a quiet whisper, closing his eyes, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up with him. "Their opinions don't matter," He continued, "I am their king and I can make my own choices," He told her. "I choose you, Mal."

He needed her to know that, no matter what happened in the future. He wouldn't force her into anything she didn't want to do.

She turned her entire body to face him. "That's absolutely barbaric," She voiced, "A teenage boy can be king of an entire country, but the best a teenage girl can get is the title of Queen someday if she parades around in enough pretty dresses?" She laughed and he didn't expect that. "On the Isle of the Lost, it was whoever had the most gold, or invoked the most fear."

That made Ben laugh. "So you're the princess of darkness," he told her. "Cool," He answered with a smile. That certainly would make things a little easier, even though she already was a princess on her father's side. He brushed her hair out of her eyes as she curled into him closer. "I will always find time for you, Mal," He continued, "Kingly duties or not," He whispered, resting his forehead against hers.

He just hoped she would believe him.


	12. Chapter 12

Mal knew the faces of disappointment on Ben's parents. It was the face she had seen very often on her own mother, usually after she did something good. It was strange to see his parents making those faces at her after she had done something bad. It was a strange shift. Ben stood before his parents, no shame at all as he stared them down. Mal had a feeling she was going to be blamed somehow.

"Imagine our disappointment when the carriage returned, no note, crown thrown away like it was just a silly trinket, and both Bruno and Carroll not quite sure where you went," Former King Adam spoke, his voice starting out calm, but rising in anger and loudness.

Mal turned her eyes to the ground to avoid smiling. It had been quite a while since anyone had had a good screaming match. She had yet to see the true beast that Ben's father had been and yet it kind of excited her.

"What were we supposed to think?" Former king Adam continued, "That you just went on a jaunty stroll through the forest like it was nothing?" She knew he was only using English for her benefit, so she could know she was being punished too. "You are king and you cannot just stroll through the woods like a commoner," Mal looked up at Ben's parents again to see true concern. So they had been worried, not furious. Bummer.

"Something could have happened and we wouldn't have known." Belle answered, "Someone could have attacked you for the title." She didn't miss the glance Belle threw at her before she turned her gaze back to her son.

Mal hadn't thought of that. How angry people would be after Ben had just been handed the crown due to his lineage. How angry people would be now that he wasn't with Audrey, a girl that was more queen material than she would ever be.

"I understand that," Ben spoke, looking up at his parents. "But what is so wrong with going to visit grandpa?" Ben answered, standing up to his full height. "You and mom never go anymore," He explained.

Former King Adam finally looked to Mal and then his son. "There's nothing wrong with visiting your grandfather," He said, admitting defeat, "but imagine what the press will say when they find out there are only two bedrooms in your grandfather's house? What they are already saying!"

He threw the paper down before them, and it slid across the floor and stopped at their feet, the front page a not so flattering picture of them on the horse together, the headline completely in French. Mal was only able to translate a few words.

"Translate it," Former King Adam told his son. "She needs to know what trouble you've gotten us all in."

Mal turned her attention to Ben as a very clear embarrassment curled around him like a cloak. "Elopement of King Ben and a Refugee from the Isle of the Lost: Are Auradon and the Seven Kingdoms to expect an illegitimate heir?" He practically mumbled, and Mal knew that was not like him at all.

Mal could feel her cheeks warm up, even though they hadn't really done anything but sleep. It was only one paper, but she was sure the rest of them wouldn't be much better. It was cruel, what the papers would try to sell a story. And much crueler what it made her think about.

The future.

"You made this mess," Former King Adam spoke, after a few seconds, "You will fix it." He explained. "You have an interview this afternoon at two. Don't be late, and don't disappoint us."

Mal looked up, quite concerned. An interview? When she barely could string three French words together in an intelligent manner? That was bound to disappoint.

"Mal and I will be ready at 1:45," Ben assured, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Not Mal," His mother revised. "She barely knows enough French to sound intelligent and it would only make things worse," Mal looked up, at least she and his mother agreed on something. "You need to show them that you are still the golden boy they are used to," She continued, "There are rumors flying around that she is corrupting you," So much for the vote of confidence.

Though maybe she was corrupting him.

"Ok," Ben agreed, "But I'm not doing it for you and my golden image," He said, "I'm doing it for Mal, and the other kids from the isle." He squeezed her hand tighter.

She felt the blush rise to her cheeks again as her shoes became a lot more interesting. She half expected his parents to balk at that. Say something about taking the kids out of the Isle, but not able to take the Isle out of the kids. She half smiled at that.

"While you are doing that," Belle spoke, and Mal did not miss the small smile of satisfaction on her lips, "I will be putting Mal through Princess boot camp."

Not a lot scared her, but that did.

* * *

Mal returned to her room, never so relieved to be alone, and that scared her. She and Ben had taken the route to her room in relative silence, the headline from the paper jarring them into embarrassment. Ben had tried to tell her about a similar incident with Audrey, but Mal had been too embarrassed to take it all in. They had departed with a simple hand squeeze, and then Mal had shut the door, practically collapsing against it.

"Whew!" Maleficent's small voice came from the window sill as she sat sunning herself on the log. "I thought for sure you two had eloped and I could feel the weight of that silly crown on my head."

Mal knew she was trying to get a rise out of her, and it seemed to be working. "He's stronger than you think," Mal answered, standing from her position on the floor and stripping out of the dress from the day before and the fluffy petticoats. "Besides that lust spell you cast on him, he hadn't tried to kiss me once." She still felt stupid arguing with a lizard.

"Dear," Maleficent spoke, the term of endearment almost as strange as arguing with a lizard. "Did the pup not tell you?"

Mal knew she should resist, her mother excellent at mind games and tricks, but still it peaked her interest. "Tell me what?" She asked, half out of the slip.

"Oh I suppose now I've ruined it," Maleficent swore, "It was supposed to be a secret I guess." Mal knew she was playing her like a fiddle, but her mother had always had a way with words, a way to control her.

"What?" Mal asked, desperate, and she hated herself for that.

"Your pup promised me the crown if you fail," Maleficent revealed and Mal felt those words pierce her like the sword that had pierced her mother's dragonhide all those years earlier. "He seemed convinced that the weight of everything would break you," She continued, but Mal had already heard enough.

She had to shower and get ready for Princess Boot Camp anyway. The Ben and promise issue could wait.

For now.

* * *

At the end of the day, as she crawled into bed, Mal could tell the difference between the several silverware settings, and what each was used for. She could curtesy better than a ballerina, and could at least hold a simple conversation in French- though Belle hadn't really been great at holding a conversation with her as she had been at criticizing her every move. It had been a long few hours, but she had actually managed to impress Belle with how much French she already knew from her and Ben's small escape.

Things had been icy between her and Ben during the few hours they had seen each other, under the supervision of his parents, and she had made no attempt to approach him about his supposed promise to her mother. She had worked quite hard to show him that she could survive dinner with his parents and all the silverware for the separate courses, and that she could keep a conversation with his parents without him having to translate.

He had talked a little about the interview, but mostly focused on other topics, citing that the interview would be in the morning paper the next morning. Mal could feel his eyes on her, but she mostly focused on her plate, or either of his parents as they chattered about pretty mundane things.

Her bed had never been so comfortable as she leaned against the hard headboard, holding her sketchbook open to an empty page. It was the first time she had even thought about art on the entire trip, besides the car ride over.

Only, she wasn't really thinking about art. She was thinking about Ben, and his habit of making promises to faeries. Idiot! She thought he would have learned his lesson the first time with the kiss fiasco, but no, he had apparently promised the crown to her mother directly if she couldn't survive the summer. What idiot does that?

An idiot in love with her apparently. Or so he had said, several times, in several ways.

She sighed. When would he have had time to make any promises to her mother anyway? She had tried to make sure they hadn't been left alone for too long, or ever.

Then it hit her. The car ride where she had stupidly fallen asleep. She thought Ben had fallen asleep too, but he must have woken up before her and had that lovely chat where he promised his kingdom to her mother directly. As if the first promise wasn't enough.

That boy needed a muzzle sometimes.

Well at least that promise had a deadline. She just had to hold out until the end of the summer. That is unless he promised something else along with it. She wouldn't put it past him, her mother was the queen of all darkness. She knew she would eventually have to talk to him, but she wanted to think about a few things first. Decide exactly what she wanted to do and say to him.

A knock came at her door, and she somehow knew exactly who it was before she even stood from the bed. It wasn't like the servants were dying to break down her door. She had already scared the chamber maids away for the night. She should have been left alone until at least daylight.

There was only one option: Ben.

She was tempted to ignore him, but she knew he would just stay there until she did answer his calling. Her mother was right. At times he was like a pup. So she set her sketchbook aside and stood from the bed. Ready to shoo him away until morning, if not more.

She opened the door and just stood there, not saying anything for fear of shouting at him and losing her temper. He definitely had some explaining to do.

"Would you like to head to the lake?" He asked her, his childlike smile absent, and a chilled look over him. He knew she was mad at him, and he was treading carefully.

"No," She answered, about to shut the door.

"Listen Mal," Ben countered, shoving his foot behind the door so she couldn't close it without a struggle. "I know you're mad at me and I would like to know why." Smart boy, he could read human emotions.

"Did you make any promises lately?" She asked, hoping that her mother had just been trying to pressure her to continue more evil deeds. When his face transformed into a surprised "oh" and his posture straightened, she had her answer.

"Mal," he started again, "If you'll just let me explain-"

She cut him off before he could get any further. "After all I told you about promises, you turned around and made one with the most evil faerie of them all?" She asked. She knew the entire story already, right? It was that simple. "You're a complete idiot!" She continued, trying to kick his foot out of the way so she could slam the door.

"It's not like that!" Ben answered, holding onto the edge of the door, fighting her over it. She had never challenged him in a battle of anything physical, but she thought it would be so satisfying to smash his fingers in the door, like breaking his nose had been. "I need you to listen to me, Mal," He told her, trying to be more gentle in his words at least. "As your king, if nothing else, I command you listen to me."

His choice of words made her stop and he was able to wrench the door open. She stared at him, his words, their purpose, so clear. As a faerie and a magic user, words meant everything.

 _As your king, if nothing else…_

It was one of the first times he had truly commanded her as her king, not as Ben, her boyfriend. If he was still that, his words pretty clear.

"I did it to protect you," He explained. "It started as a stupid move, and I fixed it," He went on and she could almost feel the desperation oozing from him. "I did it to try and save you," He continued.

That thought pissed her off. He knew better than anyone that she could handle herself, and yet he had this hero complex that he had to save her. "I don't need you to save me," She answered. "And I don't need you to protect me or stand up for me or make me feel chosen," She continued, citing all of the things he had told her in the past few days, weeks and months and trying to keep her anger in check, but her voice was raising into a shout. "I certainly don't need you making promises to, for, or about me either," She could feel her anger fuming and she knew what usually came from that. As her king, if nothing else, she was not about to show Ben that side of her.

She reached for the door handle and he backed up silently. "Understood," He answered, his face stone, his response almost mechanical "Have a good night, Miss Mal," He told her with a short bow.

Then he was gone, and she felt a terrible emptiness.

She had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping that night, even though she was exhausted.


	13. Chapter 13

The kitchen was deserted as Ben entered through the swinging doors. He figured as much. It had been hours since dinner had been made and cleared and he was pretty sure he was the only one in the entire castle still awake at such a late hour.

After their exchanging of words, he was sure Mal was done with him. She had been more pissed than he had ever seen her before, her eyes glowing green with the same magic that has cursed an innocent infant and nearly taken the wand and the rule of Auradon in one fell swoop. He had royally messed up, and he doubted she would stay after their-

Whatever had happened.

He could handle that, he supposed. Her leaving the castle, the province, the country. What he couldn't handle was not following her, not apologizing, and making things right. He would have marched right back up to her room, kissed her hard, and run away with her, giving the kingdom up and effectively breaking most, if not all of the promises over them, if he had been more sure and less angry.

Mal had been right. Maleficent was not a faerie to mess with and for all he knew, his promises to her might have done jack shit to save Mal. The anger still flowed through him as he pulled the ingredients from the cupboards and slammed them shut, probably harder than he should have. The feel and sound of destruction doing nothing for his anger.

By the time he had measured out the ingredients and formed the batter into a dough he could beat up on, the counters were more disorganized than he had ever imagined possible. He had been shaking too much to measure the liquids without spilling, the eggs had shattered in his palms more than into the bowl, and in his rage the fresh bag of flour had practically exploded in his grip. He didn't care about that at the moment.

He needed the dough to quell his rage.

He needed to roar and just be an angry teenage boy, not the king of an entire country.

He dug his fingers into the mostly liquid mix and splashed more than he thought possible for just one loaf. Still, the destruction made him feel better, no matter how small it was. His roar started as a low growl in his chest, but as he kneaded it grew louder, until he was physically roaring at a half formed, mostly liquid ball of dough, thinking about all that had happened and how it had all taken a turn for the worst.

"Fuck!" He shouted, kicking the nearby counter leg and sending nearly a hundred clean ceramic dishes to the floor with the satisfying sound of shattering. He could feel the anger continuing to rise in him, threatening to overtake him, and for the first time he wasn't so afraid of the beast within.

He practically wished for it. Especially if everything was already doomed.

"The mouth on you!" He expected his mother, or Mrs. Potts, or perhaps even his father, instead, the last person he expected was standing there, not too far away, her distinctly purple everything a welcome sight.

But he just stared like an idiot, the rage swirling, waiting for whatever she had to say, or do. He was afraid if he said the wrong thing, she could break as easily as a stained glass window, or the ceramic dishes that littered the floor.

"You better not let Mrs. Potts in here," She continued, surveying the damage she could see from the doorway. "Her kitchen is a complete mess and her relatives could be shattered on the floor." She laughed after that, and Ben found his rage depleting as she did. But his fear stayed, shrouding him like a coat.

Why was she there? Hadn't she said everything she had wanted to say? Or was she there to dish him more pain and suffering? She was a VK after all, she did like to see suffering. He just continued to knead the dough before him, waiting for her to say something else, anything else to gage where they stood. He didn't want to say, or do anything else stupid or idiotic.

"Nice destruction," She continued, surveying the damage around the room. "I was just beginning to think you were too soft, nothing like your father," She continued, taking a few steps closer, but still keeping her distance.

"You should see me when the Auradon Hummingbirds lose the worldwide tourney championship," He answered, trying to keep things light. "It's been a few years, but the last time they lost, I tore apart my room."

Mal laughed. "How evil of you," She answered, with a small smile, leaning against the far counter, just watching him in the silence of the destroyed kitchen.

When she didn't say anything for quite a long while, he spoke, his voice calm. "You're still here," He spoke quietly, the dough in his fingers becoming less sticky, more solid, his mood improving just with her there. He wondered how much she actually knew of the promise he had made to her mother. He thought she would have left the second he surrendered.

"Did you want me to leave?" She asked, crossing her arms slowly, her eyes watching him carefully. "Because I can-"

Ben dropped the dough in an instant and closed the distance between them, pulling her into a tight embrace, and probably getting batter and flour all over her. "Please don't," He answered, and he felt her melt into his arms. "I need you here," He admitted, not caring how immature or desperate he sounded. It was the truth, no matter what they were.

She hugged him back tightly. "You seriously think I would leave that easily?" She asked him and he could almost see her smile though she was nuzzled into his chest. "I'm not about to lose a betting pool to Jay and Carlos," She continued, "especially one so stupid." She laughed.

He knew exactly which one she was talking about. Nearly the entire student body at Auradon Prep was in on it. There were bets on when he and Mal would split up, some ranging from two days (those poor suckers) to months, to years. Even he had been in on it, well to a point. It had become a kind of a joke between him and the VKs.

"Three months and six months, right?" He asked, remembering their bets properly he hoped. "Should I be scared?" He asked, they did know her better and for longer.

"Only if you end things with me over a bet," She answered, and he didn't doubt that. It made him smile.

"Are you saying we're still together?" He asked her, hoping that she would agree. He kept his arms right around her, figuring he already knew the answer, since she hadn't moved.

"Unless you want to break up," she answered, looking up and wiping a splatter of batter from his cheek with her finger.

He couldn't resist, he picked her up and spun her, as he had at the coronation. "I don't," He continued, then he thought about the betting pool. "So how long did you bet on?" He asked.

"You'll just have to guess," She told him, pulling away just slightly to taste the batter. "And what about you?" She continued, looking up from her dough smudged fingers.

He smiled. "Let's just say if things go well, I'll win," He answered, into her hair, not wanting to reveal any more than that. He had been a sap, and he was honestly surprised she hadn't heard about it yet. He had chosen the longest time he could think of, and it had been the longest time possible. He wondered how long she had chosen though.

She laughed and pushed him a little further away. "You are covering me in dough," She complained, "And you've covered in it yourself," She continued, reaching up and pulling a glob from his hair and throwing it to the already soiled floor. She laughed as she looked around the kitchen again. "Are you done being destructive, or should I leave you for ten more minutes?" She wondered.

He looked around at the chaos, then back to her, the last of the rage subsiding. "I should probably explain myself," He began, almost feeling embarrassed before her, as if he had been stripped of everything and had nothing left.

She shrugged, "Who doesn't like a little destruction?" She asked. "Though I could do without the eggshells in my morning toast," She said, flicking a shell from the batter.

He grabbed her hips, sticky batter hands and all, catching her attention. "I'm not talking about the destruction," He clarified. "And at the risk of you biting my head off again, I want to explain about the promise I made to your mother."

Mal laughed. "You haven't seen my bite yet," She told him, her smile wicked and wide. "That was more a nibble," She continued, brushing her hand across his cheek, and most likely brushing flour away. "My bite is vicious," She continued, and he didn't doubt it. "But I'm listening."

He led her toward the small wooden table where Mrs. Potts used to have him sit during heavy mealtimes, when the kitchen was no place for a child, and sat her down. "Do you feel like some coffee?" He asked her, even though it was the early hours of the morning, and not quite past four am.

"I don't think I'm going to be sleeping tonight," She admitted, "Not that I sleep much anyway," She had mentioned that several times before, and he wondered why. "So I could go for some coffee."

* * *

A little over ten minutes later, Ben returned to the small table with a large cup of coffee and a plate of little pastries. He set the pastries before her first, and then the cup of coffee, filled to the near brim with what she hoped was coffee and foamed milk. He had spent some of the last ten minutes cleaning up some of the mess and then about the last five or so quietly near the coffee press.

When Mal looked down at her cup, she realized why.

In the foam, he had drawn a very detailed, if not cartoony picture of him kissing her cheek. The detail exquisite, right down to the thinnest lines of foam her's eyelashes, to the thick lines of their clothes. He had spent quite a while on it, it seemed.

"Is there anything you can't do?" She asked him, looking up from the cup as he sat across from her. She figured that list was pretty short.

"Besides kiss you?" He asked, before he took a sip from his cup and she nodded. He shrugged. "My Italian is a little rusty," He said with a smile. "And I apparently can't stop making promises to faeries," He continued, returning to their original topic.

She took the first sip of the coffee before her and if it looked beautiful, it tasted even better. "So what did my mother say to you to make you promise your entire kingdom if I failed?" She asked, the curiosity finally getting to her.

She watched as Ben leaned forward, setting the cup down onto the table with a gentle clink, wrapping his hands around it gently. "She kept saying that you were still evil," He began, "That you couldn't handle the customs here. That you would crack under the pressure."

That certainly sounded like her mother. "So you just promised her your kingdom if I left?" She asked, the warm ceramic cup comfortable in her hands. There was something she was missing and she couldn't figure out what.

Ben stared down at his coffee, nestled in his hands and Mal could see that he was nervous about something. It was a quality she hadn't seen him outwardly show very often. He was usually a healthy dose of cocky whenever he could be. After several seconds he looked up at her.

"I've been primed to take the kingdom since I was born," He explained, "And for fifteen and a half years, I thought I wanted it." She watched as he started to smile. "Then I brought you and the other VKs over, and for the first time, I wasn't sure."

Mal stared. She wasn't expecting that at all. He had never even hinted at anything close to being unsure. "What made you unsure?" She asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer or not, and what it had to do with the promise he had made to her mother. Though she knew it had to do something with her and the other VKs.

"Your love spell," He admitted. "Well that was when I realized it," He continued. "Honestly, it was when I started dreaming about you." He had dreams about her? "Two weeks before I made the official proclamation to bring you guys over."

She practically choked on the little bite of the scone she had taken. That was not something she had expected. She had dreamed about their date in great detail before they had actually had their date. Could it be some kind of magic?

She took a sip of the coffee before her and took a deep breath, waiting to hear the rest of his explanation. If she wasn't captivated before, she was at that moment.

"It sounds stupid," Ben spoke, "That a prince could be so wooed by a damn cookie." she reached out and took his hand, and he smiled "but I started to imagine possibilities that I never had before, and the kingdom and the crown didn't matter as much as you did." He squeezed her hand tight, "As much as you do," He amended.

She watched him carefully. It was beginning to make sense, though she didn't want it to make as much sense as it did. "You would give up being king of everything for me," She realized. "You would pass on the kingdom to the evilest faerie known to mankind for me," She felt like she was in a daze, or a dream. It didn't seem real.

He took a deep breath. "I didn't make that promise to your mother because I thought you couldn't do it," He explained. "I think you can and I want you to succeed." No one had ever really told her that before. "But if it becomes too much for you, I wanted a way to follow you," He admitted. "And I know I'm an idiot for making promises with faeries," He concluded.

She shook her head. "You're not an idiot," She answered, "My mother just knows how to find people's weaknesses way too well," She continued. "She just picks and picks at it until you give her anything she wants." She did have sixteen years worth of experience with the Mistress of Evil herself. "I don't like that she now has twice the chance to get your kingdom though," She admitted.

"Oh!" Ben answered in surprise, when she seemed to remind him of something. "I did manage to save your life though," He told her, another small satisfied smile crossing his cheeks.

She rolled her eyes. What had he done now?

"If she does get the kingdom," he started, "Either by a kiss or you leaving, I made her promise that she would do anything she could to keep you alive." He seemed quite pleased with himself, though Mal wasn't so sure she would keep it. "And she can't force us to do anything under duress, or under the influence of magic." He seemed very pleased with himself.

"Benjamin Florian," Mal exclaimed quite excited. "I could kiss you right now!" She told him in excitement. She wasn't excited because of the clause to save her life, but because of the no magic or duress addition, the other faeries couldn't get as involved.

He smiled his biggest smile at her. "I could kiss you too," He answered, "you have no idea how difficult it is not to," He continued.

"Six years is a long time," She reminded him, the weight of breaking that promise sinking her mood.

Ben laughed. "I keep telling you," he continued. "I am going to find a way to safely break it so I can kiss you on summer solstice. I-" She knew what words were coming after that, so she shoved a mini scone into his mouth.

"Don't you dare!" She told him. "We have enough promises to deal with and you have a kingdom to run," She reminded him as he chewed.

"I will kiss you on summer solstice," He told her, his mouth still full with crumbly scone.

"Very king like," She told him, "and I thought your mother trained you better after she trained your dad." She laughed.

Ben swallowed loudly. "You can make the teenage boy king, but he still is a teenage boy," He reminded her. "Full of testosterone and rule breaking."

She laughed again. "I love rule breaking," She answered. "And as far as testosterone goes, are you sure you're Beast's son?" She asked, walking her fingers up his chest. "He was distinctly more hairy at your age."

He swallowed again, out of fear, or so she guessed. "That's what my mom says," He answered, "And if you recall, at my age, he was magically transformed into a dog, wolf, wildebeest hybrid and only just a prince."

"Benjamin!" She exclaimed in fake shock. "Are you bragging?" She asked, "Very very unkinglike," She told him with her wickedest smile.

She loved that he could show her the "Ben" side of himself, not just the "King Benjamin Florian Adamson, son of the Great King Beast Adam and Queen Belle." She just hoped she could show him more than just Mal Bertha Blackheart, though it wasn't like she was a princess or anything worthy of his time.

"Don't you have a finance meeting in like four hours?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be going over figures or something?" She had no idea how he did half the things he did, all while being a teenage boy.

"I already did," He explained. "And I allocated some funds to a few worthy causes," He went on, and she knew he was trying to impress her. "Unfortunately, my lips are sealed until the official proclamations." He was sneaky, she would give him that. "But after that finance meeting, we could explore the castle," He suggested. "I could show you where I used to hide out from my parents," He continued. "Give you ideas just in case my mom gets too intense."

She laughed. "Oh yes King Benjamin," She answered, putting on her best princess impression. "I would be honored if you would show me your childhood hiding places," She batted her eyelashes and then let the persona fall with an evil cackle.

"It's a date," He told her with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

The next week flew by in a flurry of meetings and dinners and workshops for Ben and hours and hours of etiquette and French lessons for Mal. They barely had a chance to see each other for more than a few minutes between his meetings and her lessons with his mother. Even dinner and dessert with his parents was often missed in favor of appeasing the masses, and meeting with the several councils of Auradon and the surrounding kingdoms.

Still, they tried to text like crazy, and get together whenever they could, though they always seemed to be missing each other. After six and a half days, Ben had had enough.

He knew it was late, but he snuck down the hall and up the opposite steps to the west wing, where Mal's chamber had been placed. He had just come in from a long ride back from Cinderellasburg to talk to the mice about their needs to sew the dresses for the masses of princesses that flocked there, and their desire for increased wages. It had been a long meeting, and an even longer ride back. He had spent all day with the squeaking of mice in his ears, but he wanted to see Mal before too much longer.

He knocked quietly, hoping that she would somehow still be awake. The door gave way to hit him with a sliver of the yellow light of her bedside lamp. "Mal?" He asked quietly, wondering if she was still awake, or if she had fallen asleep in the middle of an art project. He half hoped she wasn't naked. He half hoped she was.

When she didn't answer, he pushed the door open just a tad bit more, to see her bare arm dangling over the edge of the bed, her sketchbook flopped open to a half finished sketch, the pencil not too far away. From the looks of it, she had fallen asleep sketching again. From there, he had a decision to make.

He could wake her up, risk her fists, or her ire, or he could let her sleep and leave her a short message to meet him when she woke.

He knew his mother was probably working her hard if she was out, her snores just barely audible, still leaning against the headboard. She had slumped down quite a lot it seemed, and he wanted to adjust her to be more comfortable, but he didn't want to wake her if she was sleeping so well. He didn't want to risk waking her mother in the cage on the windowsill either.

Instead, he propped a pillow under her head gently and then borrowed her sketchbook momentarily. He wasn't as great of an artist as she was, but it was the thought that counts.

* * *

Mal awoke with a start. The nightmare always started and ended the same way. The coronation as it had been, her mother appearing and freezing everyone but her and her fellow VKs. From there, it only got worse.

Jay was the first to go, burned to a crisp by her mother's dragon fire.

Then Evie, swallowed whole, with a shriek.

Then finally Carlos, his little body slammed against one of the pillars of the cathedral by her mother's spiked tail without much of a fight.

Then it was just her and her mother. Her magic not nearly as strong as the dragon before her, and she eventually gave in to her mother's evil ways.

That wasn't so bad. Until Ben was unfrozen and tried to fight for her.

The idiot.

Her mother zapped him with the dragon's eye, turning him into a golden retriever, and then handed him over to Cruella to make leg warmers.

His last yaps as he was thrown into the shearing machine always woke her in a panic.

The room was dark, the gossamer curtains blowing in the warm summer breeze, barely any moonlight coming through. She didn't remember how she had fallen asleep, or even how she had climbed into bed, but she knew she hadn't fallen asleep with so many pillows under her. Her first thought was she was too comfortable.

She sat up quickly, her back and neck popping satisfactorily as she moved the heavy blankets from her and stood up, the floor cold against her bare feet. She knew after the nightmare, for the third night in a row, she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

She stretched as she went to look for her sketchbook. Since they had arrived at the summer castle, it had mostly ended up on the floor, her pencil usually under the bed, only that night, it was leaned against the bedside lamp, a finished sketch on the open page.

Ben.

It was a pretty simple sketch, nowhere near as much detail as she usually put into her own sketches, but it was sweet. His cartoon like style evident in the soft curved lines and the light touch on the paper.

He had drawn her a dragon, though not a terrifying one at all, with its toothy smile and eyes squeezed shut in excitement as it cuddled a big strawberry.

Typical Ben, being cute and stuff. It even included a small caption.

 _Je t'aime plus que les fraises._

If it had been anyone else, she would have murdered them for even touching her sketchbook. But Ben was almost impossible to get mad at, or even stay mad at for too long. It was sweet and she wanted to keep it forever.

Although, the thought that he had come in and found her asleep, made her cringe.

She grabbed the sketchbook and wrapped a blanket around herself. She made her way toward the library in the complete silence of the night. If she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well make herself useful and research more about breaking a faerie promise.

She didn't really want to become fairy dust and the temptation to kiss Ben was only getting worse. Especially when he did cute things like that.

She pulled a few books she hadn't read, that could be useful and sat against the stacks, that section had proved to be the most useful, so why wander too far?

Not too long into her research, only about a chapter or two in, she jumped as a snore shook the shelf behind her. She caught her breath, refused to admit that she had been scared, then stood up as quietly as she could and crossed over to the other side of the shelf.

She stifled a laugh as she found Ben, on his stomach, his hair, even after hours and hours of crown hair, sticking up as if it had been shocked by lightning, splayed out as if he had been walking and just collapsed into sleep. The only giveaway that he hadn't, was the book, open under him as a pillow, which he was currently drooling a decent puddle on.

"Oh Ben," Mal whispered, shaking her head as she leaned down next to him. "You're working yourself too hard," She brushed her fingers through his hair gently, trying to flatten it down at least a little bit. No such luck.

It was then that she saw the book he was using as a pillow, more specifically the page and the picture saturated by his drool. It was an old picture of her mother.

So he had been researching the same thing she had. Only he had started in the history section rather than the magical creatures section. Why had he done that? Most of the historical faeries were either dead, or their magic so dried up they couldn't even magic themselves out of a wet paper bag.

Most of them were withering away on the Isle of the Lost anyway. Besides the three goody goodies that her mother loved to rant about on bad days, and Fairy Godmother and a handful of others.

What was he doing in the history section? And what did the book have to say about her mother? She had to know before Mrs. Potts, or Belle came in the next morning and tidied up. And she would prefer to do it without waking Ben.

She knew she could magic it out from under his head, but she had been forbidden to use magic by his parents. Not that their rule stopped her, but it had been ages since she had stolen something the old fashioned way. Her fingers practically itched for it.

It kind of felt like cheating, since Ben was such a heavy sleeper, but stealing was stealing. His head barely moved as she swiped the book from under his head and replaced it with another. He did however let out a loud snort and snuggle into her palm as she had lifted his head in one fluid motion. She nearly thought she had woken him, but he was out like only boring kingly duties could knock him out.

She turned her focus back to the book, the pages crinkling with the moisture of his drool and teeth marks? She had heard of dogs chewing up books and papers, she had experienced that with Dude, but teenage kings?

She held back a laugh when she realized she could probably sell it on eCrown for a lot of money. Fan girls would do anything for pretty much anything King Ben touched. Weirdos.

The book ended up being an account of the first few years of the formation of the Isle of the Lost and rounding up the inhabitants. There had been a counsel of magicians, who had revived those villains that had died in their quests for greatness, the judiciary committee that had tried them for their crimes and the brutes that had strong armed their mass exodus to the isle itself.

They had tried just distancing the villains from Auradonian citizens, but too much magic and infighting made it unrealistic. The villains could escape too easily and wreak havoc in Auradon just as easily as before.

It was Merlin that had recommended the barrier to keep the magic out and the villains contained. So Merlin, Fairy Godmother, the three good faeries and the Genie pulled their magic together into the barrier, effectively trapping them all in the proverbial fishbowl.

Merlin had been the ambassador to the isle for the first four years and they had tried to run the isle as an extension of Auradon itself, but typical villains didn't take things seriously and they were given up on. The isle of the lost, became just that, lost and left behind.

But Merlin remained the ambassador for the villains that couldn't look out for their own interests. There were even rumors that he and Maleficent had a secret affair. He even called her-

"Mal," Ben mumbled and Mal jumped, her attention pulled away from the book that accounted the events of the past. She watched Ben intently. Had he woken up? "No," he mumbled after several seconds, his voice heavy with sleep. "Ne me quitte pas." Even in sleep, his French was better than hers, completely perfect.

 _Don't leave me._

He was having a nightmare. Or so it sounded like. She was no stranger to nightmares, both on and off the island, but to see Ben nightmaring when he had kingly duties and barely slept or took care of himself as it was, was just cruel.

Without even thinking about it, she moved closer to him and watched him for a few more seconds. She knew she said she wouldn't, but if she did it would be for a good cause.

"No!" He mumbled louder, his arms and legs struggling against the library carpet. "Mal, run," He mumbled, "run," He mumbled louder, his face curled up in anguish, "I'm going to hurt you!" He grumbled, the anguish wrinkling his perfect face.

She had heard enough. She rested her hand against his cheek gently and his face almost instantly relaxed. Somehow she knew it wasn't the first time he had had the nightmare. If they were anything like hers, they were recurring.

"Give the king a night of peaceful rest," she whispered, "with sweetest dreams of things liked best." She could feel the magic surge through her hand into him and in an instant he relaxed.

She knew she should probably wake him, so he could be the most comfortable in his plushy bed, but she had just spelled him and the anguish on his face had given way to a lazy smile. She removed her hand from his cheek and pulled the blanket from her shoulders and draped it over him.

She took the book with her. If nothing else, it would be a good history lesson, and maybe even a map to answers, if the participants were still alive.

 _Merlin had called Maleficent "Mal", in an effort to convince her she wasn't as evil as her name connotated._

Could Merlin have been her father?

* * *

Ben rolled over, expecting to roll into her, his purple goddess after an epic night of promises he would never want to break, dancing, and the sweetest of kisses, and the not so sweetest of kisses after everyone else had left.

Instead, he rolled into the sharp corner of a book right between the eyes, effectively scaring him awake. He had fallen asleep in the library yet again, after hours of meetings and counsels and negotiations, where he had come to research the promises he had made, and a little not so ancient history.

He sat up, then realized someone had been there. Instead of the history book about the isle and the regulations put in place by the several individuals involved, he had been placed onto a book chronicling the many ways to enjoy abstract art, a thin indigo blanket half wrapped around him.

Mal.

Strangely, it was the best sleep he had had in a long while. No instance of the same nightmare he had had for the last few weeks, and an amazing dream of the future with Mal.

She had definitely been there, a scrap of paper pinned to the blanket, her swirly scrawl distinctively recognizable.

 _You need to take better care of yourself, Little Benny Foo Foo._

A small quick sketch of a dragon with jagged lines as the signature. As if he didn't know.

Still, she had come in, and he had been asleep. He cursed his ability to sleep like he was practically dead. He had wanted to see her.

It had been nearly a week since they had had some real alone time together, his kingly duties pulling him every which way, but to her.

He had tried to include her in several of his kingly duties, meeting the monetary counsel to go over funds for his plans for the isle and the poorer rundown areas of Auradon and the seven kingdoms, joining him at the union of sidekicks to review the 101 Dalmatians' majors and their financial aid needs, even meeting with the Pink Princess Society to accept the plans for the reunion ball, but he either couldn't find her, or the groups themselves had barred her for one reason or another.

He had half expected that, she was the Mistress of Evil's daughter after all. Though from what he had seen in their private moments, she wasn't all evil and she did have some decent, if not great ideas for the kingdom.

Maybe he could take her to the annual meeting to discuss the status of the peoples on the isle. Though that would probably just depress her. It always depressed him. They had never set anyone free from the isle. It was hours and hours of naming villains and then denying them their right to parole. That was one he wished he could skip himself.

That was one that he was really late for, he realized as he jumped up and ran for the double doors of the library. He froze as soon as he opened them, to see his father standing at his full height, the heavy crown on his head.

" _I went to the meeting for you,"_ He told him, no greeting, no trace of any smile. " _They seemed to think there was a conflict of interest and asked me to step in. Did you really sign a proclamation to let Wifi and electricity onto the island?"_ He asked.

" _Yes,"_ Ben answered, standing up taller. He was king, they were his decisions. " _I think it's time to take them out of the dark ages,"_ He continued. " _Give them more opportunities to do good,"_ He added.

He moved past his father, a small smile playing on his lips. If his father had gone to the meeting for him, that meant the rest of his morning was free. He could find Mal and spend some time with her before the meetings in the afternoon.

His father stopped him before he got too much further. " _I went to the meeting for you,"_ he clarified, " _but you have to sign the decisions into effect."_ He passed the large stack over to Ben and he bit back a groan, wondering if Mal's morning was going better than his had started.

It was going to be a long rest of the morning, he almost wished for the tea with the elderly society of Auradon, even though they rarely ever shut up about the good old days.

" _But those can wait,"_ His father continued, " _The Dormants are here."_

He knew things were going to go from bad to worse, even before he heard it.

"Bennybear!" Audrey's voice sliced through the air. They weren't together anymore, but she still insisted on the nicknames.

He had forgotten to tell Mal they were coming a few weeks before the council of the seven kingdoms. She was going to be livid.


	15. Chapter 15

If dinner the first night at the summer castle had been awkward, that lunch with Audrey, and her parents, the very people her mother had tortured for over a century, was complete hell.

If the awkwardness was tangible, it would have suffocated her. Especially as she sat between Audrey and Aurora, King Ben and his father getting the heads of the table, Phillip and Belle sitting across from them, Audrey at Ben's right side, as arranged by their parents it seemed. All because of dominant handedness.

"I'm a lefty," Audrey had complained when Mal had begun to take the seat next to Ben, "I wouldn't want to elbow you all through lunch," She had told her sweetly and rather than start a big argument about it, Mal conceded, taking the seat between Audrey and her mother.

All through the meal, Audrey used her left hand, though without as much dexterity as Ben used, also being a lefty. Mal knew it had been a ruse, being left handed herself, but kept her composure through lunch. Though she really wanted to elbow Audrey a few times.

It was one meal. She could survive it.

She thought.

And things were well enough, most awkward topics, like her parentage and the coronation, well the bad parts, avoided. Things were fine, until their parents started talking about their summers spent together as children.

"Remember that summer we spent in Ericstown?" Aurora asked Belle, during the main course. "When we went to the aquarium and Ben had to roar at every tank that wasn't a fish he recognized?"

Belle laughed as both Ben and Audrey's cheeks began to pink up. Mal couldn't help but smile. At least the lunch wasn't awkward for only her.

"Was that the same summer that Ben insisted that he wanted to take swim lessons, but cried when Ariel introduced him to Flounder and Sebastian?" Belle answered back and Mal could see Ben trying to keep his composure as their mothers shared stories.

"Yes," Aurora answered, "And the summer that Audrey insisted she only wanted to wear blue because it matched Ben's eyes."

Audrey smiled sweetly next to her, and Mal realized what was beginning to happen. "No mother," she answered, "I wore blue because boys didn't like pink."

Mal fought the urge to roll her eyes. Her mother had often ranted about Aurora's pink or blue, or pink and blue dress often. She had ranted about Aurora often enough to make sitting next to her at the table quite awkward.

Ben's father laughed. "He was six," he began, looking to Audrey. "All you had to do was share your jello. The way to a man's heart is always his stomach." He explained with a quick look of love to Belle. Ben choked back a laugh and met her eyes with a small smile.

Technically, it was true. She had wooed him with a cookie.

The only person at the table, besides Mal, who wasn't joining in on the walk down memory lane was Phillip. Mal couldn't blame him. From what she knew about Audrey and Ben's relationship before, she had come in like a wrecking ball. Either way, Phillip and Aurora were getting the short end of the stick.

Phillip had lost the election to Adam, he had lost the chance to gain the kingdom when Audrey had been born a girl, and he had lost the chance again when Mal had spelled Ben with the cookie. Things were not going too well for the Dormants, who had once been the highest of society. Phillip had a right to be a little withdrawn after all that had happened.

Both before and after Mal's mother had butted into their business.

"Mal dear," Belle pulled her attention from her thoughts, from across the table. "Aurora asked you a question."

Mal turned to her mother's sworn enemy, wondering just what she had asked. What she had chances to say to the spawn of the woman that had cursed her practically from birth.

"Do you think your mother would like some clippings from my garden?" She asked, and Mal just stared for several long seconds, unsure what had just happened. "For her little habitat?" She continued.

"Aurora has the best garden in the province," Belle explained, "Always beats me in the rose portion of the annual garden grow." Then Mal realized that below their banter, the two women were anything but friends.

"That would be a good idea, I guess," Mal answered. If she wasn't going to learn how to love, or grow in size back to her former self, she might as well be comfortable. "Though you don't have to-"

Aurora placed her hand over Mal's. "I want to. Your mother caused me a lot of grief, but if she hadn't done what she did, I wouldn't have met the love of my life, or had my amazing daughter."

Then it just became a gross love fest of "I love you"'s from the Dormants. Mal was starting to see why her mother had preferred solitude to family. It made her want to literally vomit, or maybe that was the strong wine the Dormants had brought as a gift for the kingdom's hospitality.

She knew she would have to get up eventually, or risk Belle's ire at being unladylike at the table and splashing both Aurora and Audrey with remains of lunch. Actually, that thought was kind of satisfying.

"Thank you," Mal answered, swallowing whatever threatened to come back up. "I'm sure my mother would prefer grub worms and aphids though."

She could just see her mother scoff at the plushness, the softness of rose petals.

"I have those too," Aurora continued, and Mal realized she was trying really hard to impress her. She half wondered why, or was she trying to distract her from something else?

From there, lunch continued on in a kind of awkward silence, one that even Ben couldn't find a subject to break it. Eventually, the meal came to a close and everyone stood once the dishes were cleared away.

Aurora kept trying to make small talk with Mal, asking her about which classes had been her favorite, if she needed anything else for her mother, topics that could have gone deeper and had more meaning, but instead stayed awkward.

Mal had never been so thankful for Ben at that moment.

"Excuse me, Auntie," He started, his tone respectful and proper, "but would you mind terribly if I stole Mal away from your company?" He asked, offering Mal his arm.

She could see Aurora trying to find any reason to object, and was quite pleased when Ben pulled her away anyway toward the doors to the back door. "I was thinking we could sneak away-"

"Ben!" His father called, pulling her attention away from the king's blue eyes. "You have the tea with the elderly society in 45 minutes."

Mal knew what that meant, even before she watched his face fall. "I'll see you later," She told him with a short nod.

"I hope so," He answered back, giving her hand a quick squeeze before departing her presence again. "And I'll text you."

She knew what was waiting for her, more etiquette lessons, or dancing lessons, or French lessons, or all three. She figured she could run and hide, but Ben had yet to show her any hiding places as he had promised the week before, so Belle would find her anyway. So she waited.

"I think I shall nap," Audrey cooed, typical princess, and the daughter of Sleeping Beauty.

"Mal, why don't you take a short repose too?" Belle suggested. "We can continue our lessons later this afternoon."

Those words had never sounded so sweet, well besides the fact that she didn't ever really nap. She figured it would be a great few hours to distract herself with her sketchbook, which had been woefully neglected over the past few weeks.

At least until Ben returned.

* * *

In the cruelest of ironies, someone had placed Audrey's sleeping chamber right next to Mal's. She had her suspicions who it had been, someone who wanted to see how much progress Mal had made with etiquette and being "good", but she wasn't going to name names.

"I can hear you in there!" Audrey shouted for what must have been the tenth time in the last hour.

Also, in the cruelest of ironies, Audrey was the lightest of sleepers. All Mal had been doing was trying to sketch, take her mind off of Audrey and the Dormants in the summer castle and even the slightest of sounds had Audrey yelling at her to shut up. A few times she had just breathed a sigh of disgust at a particular line and Audrey had shouted at her. Even the pencil across the page would wake her.

Lightest sleeper ever.

Mal knew she could stay and torture her, and it was a tempting idea, but Audrey was starting to get on her nerves. She knew she could go to the library and do more research, expand her research past the magical creatures section, thanks to Ben's help. So she packed up her sketchbook and her pencils, possibly slamming the book shut loudly just to get a rise out of the pink princess, then headed for the library.

The library was vast and organized as it always had been. Books from wall to wall all meticulously kept in pristine order, not a single one showing age, or disarray. It was obvious Belle had loved her library as she loved her family.

As Mal passed the several seating sections, with huge plushy couches and enough table space to stack at least 100 books comfortably, she wondered if Ben had spent a lot of his childhood in the library, and how often Belle had read to him.

Maleficent used to read spells to her to put her to sleep. Though she would read them like the fairytales of old.

 _Then the giant ostrich eye jumped into the boiling pot to bind with the blades of crabgrass to fuel the Queen's bitterness and break her heart._

She figured Ben had gotten the standard of fairytales.

 _And they lived happily ever after._

She half wanted to text him and ask him, but decided at the last minute that it could be an adventure for them. Something for them to do when the kingly duties died down a bit.

The corner of the library that she had been camping out in, the magical creatures section, was quickly becoming well read and she branched out toward the point on the shelves where history met magical creatures. Maybe there was a magical being that was still around that could assist her somehow in breaking the promise.

She ran her lilac painted nails over the titles, hoping that one of them would speak to her. Well not literally, but that one would grab her interest.

There were interesting titles like: _Everything You Need to Know about Greek Gods, How the Atlantia Bay Was Won,_ and _How to Dress Like You Were Born A Century Ago: Fashions of Auradon._

Then Mal's fingers came across a blank book, no title in gold letters, just a semi worn leather spine, and her curiosity got the better of her. She moved to pull it out, but it seemed to be jammed between the larger books, so she tried to shimmy it out, then it gave way slightly with a click.

The bookshelf in the farthest corner popped forward just enough to reveal a stone hallway, lined with aged iron lanterns just waiting to be lit.

Mal turned her attention back to the empty library, looking around for any sign of anyone that had seen what had just happened, then she quickly darted behind the shelf and shut it, leaving her in darkness for mere seconds.

"From the darkest night, I need a pyre," she mumbled, not sure how far her voice would carry down the darkened hall, or how close the light sleeper was, "In this iron lantern, light the fire."

The lantern closest to her burned to life, sizzling at first against the aged rust, but keeping the hallway lit. Mal grabbed it from the wall with a shaking hand, she knew exactly what happened to her mother with iron, but she had never encountered it herself. Luckily, it didn't burn her as quickly as it had her mother and she thanked her "weak" human father.

The hallway soon split into several directions and Mal soon faced a choice. She could go to the left, continue on straight, or go to the right.

Her mother had always said "never go right." And Mal laughed at the out of context idea of her mother's that had appeared in her head. So just like that, she narrowed it down to either continuing straight or taking a left. Though she made a mental note to continue her exploration later and take the right, maybe even with Ben, if things worked out well.

On pure whim, Mal went left. The farther she got away from the crossroad, the darker the hallway seemed to get, the less light the lantern seemed to provide and the more spiderwebs and dust she seemed to encounter. She didn't mind the dust and spiderwebs, the summer castle was already starting to feel too clean and the only thing the secret passage was missing was a huge pile of mud.

Not too much later, she began to hear voices and they only got louder, the longer she traveled down the stone passage. Then, the small sliver of light through an iron grate became visible and Mal turned off the lantern. She wasn't sure she wanted the voices to know she was there.

"Pourquoi est-elle ici?" A male voice asked, and without fully understanding, Mal could tell the speaker was angry. "La fille de Maleficent n'a pas sa place ici."

So they were talking about her. That much she knew. She couldn't see them, but she could hear the familiar tone of Phillip. Of course he was angry with her. He had every right to be furious with her and her mother.

"Nous savons." The calmer voice of Adam came and Mal stayed frozen. Who all was there in the room and where had the tunnel spit her out?

Mal knew the appropriate thing to do would be to turn back and act like she hadn't been listening, but they were talking about her and she was curious. She knew she couldn't stay long, since Belle would come looking for her to continue their etiquette, pink princess lessons, but a few minutes couldn't hurt.

"Nous avons essayé de la repousser," Belle's voice came from the room and Mal knew she could stay. "mais Ben-"

"Ca met égal!" Phillip shouted back and he sounded pretty angry.

Mal knew it was not the best thing to do, since she had agreed on a roundabout way to not use magic, but she had to know what they were talking about.

"Let the language that I hear," Mal whispered, "sound like English to my ear."

Then she waited, and found that it had worked.

"I don't care that you've been trying to scare her away!" Phillip shouted. "She's still here and you promised us that Ben would marry Audrey the summer after he was crowned!"

Mal stared at the grate, waiting for anyone to argue back against Phillip. When no one did, he continued in his rant.

"Need I remind you what's at stake if you don't break the lovely curse that you placed on your son?!" Phillip yelled, "Do you dare think about the possibility if the Spawn of the Mistress of Evil can't break it?" He questioned.

That was the second time she had heard mention of a curse. What did everyone else know that she didn't? And Spawn of the Mistress of Evil? She should look into business cards.

"Phillip!" Aurora butted in, and Mal realized it was a family affair. She half wondered if Ben and Audrey were there too, if it had all been a ruse to leave her out of it.

"No!" Phillip shouted back. "We were promised Audrey as queen and I won't stand for any other option." Mal could feel the iron starting to bite into her hand, but she gripped it tighter. She had to keep listening. "I won't have Maleficent ruin our lives again. If I have to run the tramp through with a sword myself, I will!"

Mal shivered at the idea of that. She had seen her mother's own scar and knew how much she had complained about it.

"You will do no such thing under my roof!" Adam roared, finally showing Mal a hint of his beastly nature and in her defense. "We will keep them apart so Audrey and Ben can spend more time together," He agreed after several seconds of silence.

"We've been doing it since they got here," Belle continued, and Mal couldn't believe what she was hearing. "If she thinks he doesn't care for her as much as he cares for the crown, she'll leave."

Mal bit back a laugh at that. It seemed they didn't know their son as much as they thought they did.

"Audrey will be queen," Adam promised them. "We just have to get rid of our faerie problem first. Ben just has to kiss Audrey before Mal."

"Audrey knows what she has to do," Aurora continued. "And she will do anything you ask to push Ben and the spawn apart." She didn't seem as confident as the rest of them and Mal knew she could use that to her advantage, should she need it.

Mal nearly dropped the lantern as the iron began to burn hot against her palm. She knew she had to tell Ben, if he didn't already know. She readjusted the lantern against the sleeve of her jacket, to prevent more burning, then stayed where she was, trying to see if she could hear anything else.

"So we're in agreement," Belle answered, "Ben and Audrey will be married by Summer's end," Mal could feel her anger mounting. They were arranging a marriage for Ben even though it was not what he wanted.

She knew what happened when her anger got out of control and she could feel the headache mounting, the dark halos beginning at the edges of her vision meaning she had minutes to calm herself down before her true nature appeared.

But she didn't want to calm herself down, she didn't want to relax, or take their demands, that she wasn't supposed to know about, lying down. She wanted to be angry.

Her phone chirped in her pocket and then she was running back down the hidden passage toward the library. If she could hear them clearly, they could probably hear her just as easily.

Who would have texted her at that time, she wondered as she shut the bookcase that held the secret passage with a small click. Then pulled out her phone carefully.

Evie? Wasn't she stuck on the isle of the lost, unless Doug had taken her to meet his family earlier than expected.

 _Guess who has wifi and tech now?_ She had texted. _Thank King Ben for us, and ignore any memes the boys send. Miss you!_

Mal couldn't help but smile, at least she didn't feel so confined anymore since Evie was just a call away and the boys too. Though the whole arranged marriage still made her head ache and her hand and wrist were on fire, red and raw from the iron.

She had to find Ben.

* * *

She found Ben at the entrance of the castle, as she began to descend the far stairs. Then she stopped.

He had Audrey in a tight embrace, his forehead against her forehead, a small smile pulling on his lips as she snuggled into him.

There was no way her anger wouldn't overtake her now. Ben and everyone else be damned.

They were going to see what really happened when the Spawn of the Mistress of Evil got pissed.


	16. Chapter 16

If lunch had been awkward with the Dormants and Audrey trying to grab his hand every chance she got, then the tea with the elderly society of Auradon was pure hell. They had all wanted to take Auradon back to the golden years when there were no princes turned into beasts and princesses put to sleep by spiteful family members, basically when things were boring. They also pinched his cheeks non-stop and called him cute. They didn't take him seriously at all.

Coming back to the summer castle was supposed to be a relief, where he could find a few minutes alone with Mal and take off the crown for at least an hour. Only as soon as he entered, Audrey stood there expectantly and he knew his plans with Mal would have to wait.

"Bennybear," She said, closing the distance between them. "It's been ages," She complained, even though it hadn't really been that long at all. "We should go to that little bazaar and taste the fresh harvests."

They hadn't done that since they were ten and she knew it.

"Or we could have tea with our parents and talk about the future," She continued suggestively and he knew he had a feeling what kind of future they would all want to talk about.

More tea sounded about as fun as pulling teeth, and he was already full of the too sweet tea and overly stale most likely freezer burned scones from the Elderly society. Talking about a future with Audrey would just be too much torture.

"Listen Audrey," he started, trying to keep his emotions in check. All he really wanted to do was take off the crown, kick off his shoes and find Mal, but it seemed everyone else demanded something else of him. "I know our parents set us up when we were kids, but I just don't have those feelings for you."

He had tried to be diplomatic in his words and his actions, but he still expected her to freak out. Audrey and emotional freak out were nearly always in the same sentence together.

Audrey just laughed. "If Mal doesn't work out, you know where to find me," She answered, quite calmly.

He didn't know what had come over him, but he pulled her into a tight hug. He needed her as a friend at that moment, and that was what she had given him.

But he still needed to find Mal.

* * *

Her anger could not be contained, and she didn't even want to try and contain it. She had slammed the door to her chambers so hard she was sure it would explode right off the hinges. She had instantly reached for her mother's spellbook, feeling as though the additions to her forehead made her power that much stronger. She knew if she wasn't careful, they could become permanent, like her mother's, but she chose not to focus on that. She needed to be angry, she needed to let her fury have free reign.

She flipped through the spellbook, trying to find the worst spell possible.

A spell to give Ben the ears of an ass.

Too generic.

A spell to blind him to all except her.

Good idea, but it would take hours to find the bat wings and the cat's teeth.

A poison to make Audrey sleep for a thousand years.

Too much like her mother.

She threw the spell book to the bed again and transformed herself into a moth. She didn't want to run into Ben as herself just yet. Then she flew out the window toward the kitchen door.

She had an idea.

* * *

Mal had not shown up for dinner and he hadn't seen her since lunch. They had left things awkward, to say the least. Had she left because of the Dormants? Was she still avoiding him after the whole promises incident? Was she angry with him because he had been so busy with the needs of the crown?

He still had the crown, and the power that went with it, so if she left she hadn't gone far. She was probably avoiding him after not standing up for her at lunch and for being too busy.

Crap.

Dinner flew by in a haze of nervous sweats and a churning stomach, though that could have been the tea from earlier and then Ben was off to search for his purple haired beauty.

She wasn't in the library, where he thought she would be, researching the promises he'd made, but then again, if she was mad at him, she wasn't likely to want to break it. She wasn't in her room either, though she had been there after lunch, the bed sheets in a tangle, her mother's spell book thrown against the headboard, most likely in anger. He could have asked her mother, but she was not one he wanted to willingly chat with again. He had no idea what he would promise if Maleficent only offered a breadcrumb to where Mal had disappeared.

She wasn't in the kitchen either. Or any of the other places he had shown her in the summer castle. Then he ran for the secret lake, hoping that she would be there, waiting for him.

The lake was empty of any human presence and Ben heaved a sigh of frustration. Things were going exactly as he didn't want them to go.

He returned to the castle downhearted. He hoped Mal would return, and they could talk things out, but if she didn't, he hoped for a way to find her.

He trudged up to his room, knowing he had a sit down with the seven dwarves in Charmington in the morning, but wanting to find Mal was just frustrating him, and he knew exactly what he needed to avoid when he was frustrated.

"Ben!" Audrey called from down the hall and he half wanted to ignore her. Though maybe she had news of Mal.

He should avoid people when frustrated.

"Audrey," He answered, trying to remain calm, he wasn't really in the mood to go over fashion tips, or talk about the greatness of her parents, or even anything kingdom related. "Have you seen Mal?" He asked, figuring she could be useful.

Audrey shrugged. "Not since after lunch," She explained, wrapping herself around his arm. "Why don't we cuddle up and watch a movie?" She asked, "Like we used to do when we were kids."

Ben shook his head. "I really can't," He answered. "I should really go over the decisions of the parole counsel and the dwarves demands before tomorrow." Paperwork would be more exciting than Audrey, and with any luck it could distract him from worrying about Mal for a short while. "But if you see Mal, tell her I'm looking for her."

Then he left her in the hallway and entered his chamber, sitting harshly at the desk. There was a ton of paperwork to go over before morning.

* * *

Mal heaved a sigh of relief as the summer castle came into view. The horse was starting to flag and she herself was starting to feel her vision blur with sleep. She had done a lot in the past few hours and most of it against King Ben's wishes.

That had been her revenge. Not against him necessarily, but against the crown itself. She had made sure that the press was there, even though they had never probably set foot in the poorer provinces in years.

She had loaded an entire cart full of the leftover food from the castle, the bread that had been baked two days before, that the stuffy royals wouldn't eat, the cheeses that had been left sitting out too long and had barely a speck of mold, and anything else the kitchen staff had cleared out of the cupboards that was still edible. It had been a little tough riding the horse by herself, but she had made it there, shown off for the press as Bertha, as she had told the little girl and then made her swift exit back to the summer castle.

She dismounted the horse, choosing to walk the last few hundred feet to the stables to keep her awake. The sun was just about to rise, but she hoped she could make it back to the stables before the staff was awake, before Ben was awake to take his ride to Charmington or wherever he was needed that day.

"You should really leave a note before you take the king's horse," A man told her as she led the horse into the stable and its stall. She looked up in shock to see a groomsman holding a whip and looking quite interested in her explanation.

She smiled, noticing the familiarity in his face. The features he shared with Mrs. Potts. "You must be Chip," She said, remembering the stories that Ben had told her about the staff and what objects they were under the spell of the Beast. "The teacup," She added with a slight evil smile.

"And you, horse thief," he answered back, "must be Mal, the king's lady. The one that has the whole castle shaking at the mention of her name." Mal could definitely get used to that. "So where did you take the horse and how did you bewitch it for the king's ride later this afternoon?" He asked.

Mal just smiled a wicked knowing smile. "I did not bewitch his horse," She clarified, "I took it out for a little ride, that's all."

"You ate all that food yourself then?" Chip asked as he moved to tend to the horse. "That seemed like enough to feed an entire province."

So he had known from the moment she left. Had he said anything to anyone else? Did Ben know?

"I may have take some food that was discarded to some people who needed it," She explained, brushing past Chip and out of the stable. If no one knew it yet, they would know it soon, if the papers printed on time.

She snuck into the castle, up the stairs and into her chamber, falling into a deep sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Ben tried to keep his composure as he and his father played chess in the sitting room while Phillip read the morning paper. He tried to keep his eyes from the front page, where a very familiar looking strawberry blonde girl was handing out food to peasants of the poorest province, but it was ruining his chess game.

" _Such a shame that this counts as news these days,"_ Phillip complained, folding up the paper and tossing it onto the coffee table in disgust.

" _The real question is what our king is going to do about it,"_ His father spoke, looking to Ben with a proud smile and Ben could tell his father could see he was distracted.

" _This is how the revolution of our past started,"_ Phillip answered. " _The people became accustomed to things that weren't theirs and revolted when they were taken away."_

Ben swallowed hard. At least he was king and not Phillip or his father. It was his choice what happened to the girl, or in this case, Mal. Though he figured her real identity was a secret best kept to himself.

" _I say off with her head,"_ Phillip continued, even though the guillotine hadn't been used in centuries. He was still bitter from the events of twenty years earlier. He would have been a tyrant.

It was Ben's choice ultimately. What happened to Mal, or Bertha or whatever she was calling herself. And if he could help it, no one would get the guillotine. Though she would get a stern talking to, once he found her, or had time.

His schedule for the day wouldn't allow anytime for personal meetings after breakfast it seemed.

He stood, he wasn't going to win the chess game anyway, and headed for the entry way. If she had ridden all that way in a day, so could he. He would meet her there and finally talk things out without something getting in the way. His schedule could be rearranged.

Only, when he got to the stables, Chip was there munching an apple, looking like he was expecting him almost, though the scheduled ride with the riding society wasn't until later that afternoon.

"Your lady took your horse last night, brought him back early this morning," Chip told him, looking quite satisfied, like he knew a secret. "He won't be ready until this evening I wager," He continued, but Ben had already heard what he wanted to know.

"Thanks, Chip!" He called before he ran back into the castle and toward Mal's chamber all while trying to avoid his parents, the Dormants and any servants in his way.

Surprisingly, the thing that stopped him was a text message, from Evie.

 _Mal has kindly asked me to tell you to leave her alone._

He stared at it for several seconds before the next text message came in.

 _Did you two fight or something?_

He sighed. Mal had not been very happy since the Dormants had arrived and even before that, they hadn't been as close as they had been. Kingly duties and other things had kept them apart. He knew he had to fix it, but what to tell Evie in the meantime?

 _Nothing a little groveling won't fix._

He thought about his answer for several minutes before he actually sent it. The reunion ball of the seven kingdoms was coming up and he knew he could do something big. Something bigger than his song after the tourney game. Though small gifts couldn't hurt either.

 _What are you doing next week?_

He sent it, then went about his business of the day. If Mal had brought the horse back early from her stunt the day before, she was probably not one to wake up. Perhaps he should tell his mother to take it easy on her. Maybe he could convince her to meet him at the secret lake when he got back from all of the events that had been scheduled for him that day.

* * *

Mal wished it had all been a nightmare, but when she awoke and remembered that Audrey and her parents were still staying at the summer castle, she wished she could go back to sleep. She would prefer the nightmare where her mother destroyed her and her friends.

"I did not raise you to swoon and sigh over a boy," Her mother's voice came from the window sill as Mal sighed. "So either conceal it, and get back to mischief or get revenge."

That was her mother. Bitter as the blackest coffee on the island, and with a much stronger bite. No wonder she hadn't grown in size at all, even though Mal tended and cared for her, nurtured her the best she could.

"You didn't raise me to do anything but exact your revenge on the crown," Mal answered back, deciding to finally get out of bed and get dressed for the day. "Why can't you accept that I don't want to be you, mother?" She asked.

What her mother said next she wasn't expecting. "Well you're on the right track to become me, Mal." She didn't look back, but she could almost see the wide toothed lizard's smile. "Where do you think I was when I was your age?" She asked, "Who do you think made me so bitter?" Mal stayed silent as she brushed her hair back with her fingers. "It was a prince, Mal," Her mother continued. "They always pick princesses. The pup will choose his pink princess."

"Shut up!" Mal shouted, then pulled her anger inward again. Her mother's words had hit a bit too close for comfort. Audrey was in the next room over and a light sleeper if she wasn't already awake. "That was your story, mother," She continued, keeping her voice calm, noting how easy it would be to shove the cage right out the window. "This one is mine," She concluded before making her way to the door.

"Princes always choose princesses." Her mother repeated as Mal shut the door a bit harder than necessary.

"So your mom pressures you too?" Audrey asked, inspecting her manicure as she leaned against the wall outside her bedroom. "Good to know."

Had she been waiting there long? She had obviously heard quite a lot. Was she there waiting for a reason?

"What do you want, Audrey?" Mal asked, not sure how much more of Audrey she could take before she went postal. She had seen them in the entryway and she knew what their parents had planned. What else could Audrey be there for but to torture her?

"I want to call a truce of sorts," Audrey answered back, looking up to Mal. Mal tried to keep her face neutral. "My parents want me to try and woo Ben into dumping you," She admitted and Mal wondered why she was being so forthcoming. "They want me to be queen, but I want to be with Chad. I mean have you seen that boy's abs? Oh la la!" She cooed and Mal kept her focus on the object at hand, their so called truce.

"So this truce?" Mal answered back, wanting to keep Audrey on topic, and get her out of the way so she could go back to the library.

"Chad and the others will be here in a week," Audrey explained. "Think of that time as a rejuvenation vacation for your and Ben's relationship." Mal still wasn't totally grasping the truce part. "Let me flirt and try to woo him and if he chooses me by the reunion ball, then you know your relationship was doomed from the start."

Mal stared hard. "What's in it for me?" She asked, returning to her VK ways for just a few minutes. There had to be an advantage to her somewhere.

"I'll keep Belle off your back with the whole etiquette and French lessons." Audrey answered. "You can have free reign of the castle and the grounds, but you have to avoid Ben until the reunion ball."

It would give her endless time to research, and he did need to realize what he had been missing. Not that he would really miss her that much with all of his kingly duties anyway. She highly doubted Audrey would get more time with him either.

They had made it through the few weeks of distance after the coronation, they could do it again.

"Deal," She answered, always up for a challenge, "but you have to promise me something." There was no sense in having a fail safe if things turned sour. "You can't kiss Ben."

Audrey laughed. "You think I would kiss another girl's boyfriend?" She laughed, "When I have my own boyfriend already? That's low, Mal, even for you."

"Promise me," Mal answered. Honestly, she didn't trust Audrey as far as she could throw her. If Ben wanted to kiss her, fine, but with what Mal had heard from her parents she wasn't going to take that chance.

"I promise," Audrey said, though Mal could see her fingers crossed behind her back. Not that it mattered, a promise was a promise.

"And you have to cover for me if I don't make it to meals," Mal added before Audrey's face began to contort into a triumphant smile. Mal had liked the surge of emotion that doing something so good but so bad had given her when she had taken the food from the kitchens. She was planning on doing it again and again, if necessary.

Audrey nodded and they shook on it. Mal just hoped Ben was as loyal as he seemed to be. As loyal as he had been in the past.


	18. Chapter 18

Ben knew Mal was avoiding him. She didn't have to explicitly tell him, or even actively avoid him, though they rarely saw each other anyway.

He had tried to leave her little love notes, and texts and even more little drawings, but she never reciprocated. As far as he knew she was still in the castle and on the grounds. He figured there would be a huge power shift if she wasn't.

Mal wouldn't give him the time of day, or night, or anything really. He had sent her this big apology over text, which was the only way he could on the way to Atlantia Bay, after he had tried to call her several times, but he still got nothing back.

He hadn't seen her in upwards of a week, but Audrey was sticking to him like glue. He was avoiding her like the plague.

He knew that his mother was really hitting the dance lessons hard with Mal, with the reunion ball approaching rather quickly. She had mentioned it to him weeks earlier, when he had been swamped with meetings and councils. He had thought he had put a note in his itinerary, but it had mysteriously vanished. And since Mal was avoiding him, he wasn't sure he wanted her stomping on his toes in passive aggressive anger.

He had taken to avoiding Audrey and watching Mal dance with the help of the secret tunnels, the ones he had planned to show Mal before things got hectic. At least when he had a bit of time between meetings and the demands of being king.

Mal had definitely improved over the last week or so that his mother had been training her in the art of ballroom dancing. The first few days she had stepped on the poor fellow's feet so many times that he had nearly stomped off in anger and Ben had had to fight off giggles. Mal was graceful enough to steal a book right from under his head, but she couldn't master a simple waltz without maiming the coachman's son?

The next few days, she got better and had a better dance partner in the doorman's younger brother. Though she had stepped on his feet in retaliation after he had dropped her from a spin. Again, Ben fought back giggles. You could take the VK off of the isle, but they still had their VK ways.

Since the day before, his mother had placed her with Wesley, the porter's seventeen year old son, and he put up with her accidental stomping on his toes and he didn't drop her. He seemed to be the perfect fit for Mal, dance partner wise, and Ben hoped that was it. Still, he had tried to sneak away more often when she had her dance lessons with Wesley. Something didn't sit right with him.

"And one, two, three, one, two, three." His mother counted as Wesley spun Mal around in a perfect waltz step. "No, Mal," she continued, "You need to let Wesley lead. It's not a democracy, it's a dance." Even Ben stifled a laugh at that. "Shall we try it with music?" She asked and then turned toward the aged record player.

As soon as she turned, Wesley pulled Mal into a suggestive dance that definitely wasn't a waltz, or anything close, and she laughed. His mother turned back and they resumed their Waltz pose as the record player crooned out the tune of one of the Royal dances. The ones that his parents had danced to every year at the reunion ball as King and Queen, and the same ones that he was expected to dance to, to start the festivities that year.

The same that Audrey had insisted they practice for, even though she knew that he would only ask Mal, if he ever caught up with her before then.

Watching her with Wesley, smiley and happy like she had been before the kingdom demands got to him. He pulled his attention away from Mal and Wesley to send a text off to Evie.

 _You're Mal's bestie. I need your help._

He turned his attention back to Mal and Wesley, neither of them missing a step in the complex dance, even when the tempo picked up.

 _She's still mad at you?_

 _She's avoiding me like I have the plague._

Yet she was all smiley and giggly with Wesley as he threw in a few more hip swivels than Ben was comfortable with. He felt like he was going to vomit as Wesley leaned in closer and rested his forehead against Mal's, close enough that if she moved just a fraction of an inch, they would kiss. Ben knew he couldn't let his anger or jealousy get the best of him though, they were just dancing. The dance lessons that he was supposed to be helping her with. The ones he had specifically moved his schedule around for, but that had vanished mysteriously. He could feel his fists shake in anger.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _If she doesn't want to talk to you, there's nothing you can do to get her to change her mind. She exiled me and my mother to our castle for over a decade just for not inviting her to my birthday party._

Ben read that and knew he was pretty much screwed. Still, he had to try something.

He relit the lantern and turned back toward the exit of the tunnel in the library, the aged tones of one of the Royal dance in his ears.

There had to be something he could do besides get angry and jealous.

* * *

Mal laughed as Wesley threw in an extra heel kick at the end of the Kingdom dance where there wasn't supposed to be one. Every other dance partner Belle had put her with had been stiff or too mechanical, or too loose or spineless. She had already scared away three others. Wesley was a hoot, and made the lessons fun. He wasn't bad to look at with his dark eyes and dark hair, a bit like Anthony Tremaine or either of the Gaston twins. Though he wasn't Ben by a long shot.

Honestly, she missed Ben, but she and Audrey had made a deal, and Mal had to admit she was interested to see what would happen at the reunion ball later that week. She wondered if Ben had been too busy to see Audrey too.

"Hey Mal," Wesley started as they took a water break between practices of the different dances that she was expected to know by the week's end, "if Ben doesn't work out, would you go to the reunion ball with me?"

Mal nearly choked on the sip of water she had taken. It was an interesting proposition, though she was still definitely holding out for Ben. The forty or so text messages and even more KingdomBook messages made her hopeful he wasn't too interested in Audrey, though she had ignored all of them for the time being.

She tried to answer in the most diplomatic way possible. She knew Belle was listening and she knew what she and her husband and the Dormants had planned. Could Wesley be part of their plan too? A way to distract her from Ben, while Audrey wooed him away?

"Wesley," she said, trying to keep her tone light and not full of nerves like she felt on the inside, "You're a really nice guy, and if Ben and I weren't head over heels, I would agree." She could see Wesley's face fall, and she could practically feel Belle's disappointment from over by the record player. "But if for some reason it doesn't work out, I will share one dance with you." She could at least do that much right?

Wesley agreed and Mal checked her phone before Belle called them back to the record player. There were two texts from Ben and three from Evie.

The ones from Ben she ignored, though she wanted to open them and answer each one. The ones from Evie she snuck a peek at before Belle called them back to order.

 _How long are you going to keep Ben hanging?_

 _He keeps asking me for advice and I don't know what to tell him! Talk to the poor boy!_

Mal laughed at that, even through text message and a thousand or so miles apart, Evie was still Evie. Mal knew she should talk to Ben, but so far he had been super busy and she had been avoiding him that it had just become habit.

All she knew was the ball could not come soon enough.

* * *

Almost as soon as Ben returned to the library and picked up the books he planned to read over that night for research, after all of the new regulations were read and signed and the demands of the Mothers Against Intoxicated Drivers were negotiated, his father and Phillip found him.

"Son, there's something we need to talk about," His father told him and just his tone made Ben internally roll his eyes. It was going to be one of those conversations that would scar him for life he had a feeling.

"Look Dad," he answered really hoping to get out of the birds and bees talk, especially with his dad and Phillip Dormant, the father of his ex-girlfriend who was clinging to him like they were still together. "I really don't have time for the birds and bees talk. Mal and I aren't even-"

"It's not that," His father answered, stone faced. Not at all like Ben was used to seeing. Then again, he noticed the Dormants seemed to suck the joy out of everyone lately. "Let's go into my office."

His father led them down the hall to his office and sat Ben down in one of the plushy seats. He sat in his office chair and Phillip leaned against the desk. It felt like an interrogation, especially with the thousands of eyes of his childhood pictures on him, and those of his father and Phillip Dormant.

Once they were all settled, his father spoke again. "When a man becomes king, there are certain expectations," His father started, and it sure was beginning to feel like the birds and bees, first kisses lead to other firsts talk. "As King of Auradon and the seven kingdoms, you need to take a queen."

So it was that kind of talk. Not as awkward as the first kisses lead to other firsts talk, but still awkward. It was something he didn't want to think about until he had to and yet there they were, forcing him to think about it.

Ben sighed and tried to respond. "Mal and I have only been together just over a month. I'm not going to-"

"We're not talking about Mal," Phillip spoke, cutting him off, spitting Mal's name out as if it were a bad taste in his mouth.

Then the realization dawned on Ben. "Phillip and Aurora have graciously agreed to hand over their daughter to you as a wife," his father told him."Phillip and I have come to the agreement that you and Audrey will be married by summer's end."

 _That's barbaric!_ Mal's words echoed in his head and he tried not to smile at the thought of Mal, especially since his father, and everyone else, was trying to force him farther away from her. It was not the time to smile.

"I'm not doing it," He answered, standing up to leave and taking the stack of books with him. "I am king and you can't make the choice of who I marry for me!" He could feel his frustration rising. He would shout at them all day if he had to, and anyone else who tried to force him to marry someone he didn't love, could never love as much as he loved Mal.

"Actually we can," His father answered calmly. They must have expected him to resist the idea. "Since you are still underage, we can choose for you. You will propose to Audrey at the reunion ball."

Those words angered Ben and his knuckles gripped white around the stack of books. "And what about Mal?" He asked, "Am I supposed to just pretend she doesn't exist?"

Phillip smiled darkly at that. "Do you really think she's capable of love?" he asked, his voice thick with disdain, "Did you really think she would be the one to break your curse?" He continued, with a scoff. "If she had her way, you would be her minion, not her king. Like her mother and that blasted bird."

His father took the calmer approach. "Have you seen Mal since the Dormants arrived?" He asked, and Ben realized he hadn't. She had been avoiding him. "Are you so sure she hasn't forgotten about you?"

Ben's thoughts flashed to Mal and Wesley dancing in the ballroom. She had looked pretty content with him. She hadn't answered any of his texts, messages or even the little drawings and trinkets he had left in her room. Had she really given up so easily?

"I won't do it," Ben continued, standing by what he had known to be true with Mal. All they had been through, all they had talked about before things had become hectic. It couldn't just be over like that, without a fight. He had to talk to her, even if he had to trap her in the wine cellars to do it.

"You will do it," Phillip answered forcefully, standing up tall from his position leaning against the desk, "Or we will make the Reunion Ball a living hell for Mal, if we don't scare her away before then."

Even his father seemed to cringe at Phillip's excitement to be rid of Mal. "Son, make it easier on everyone and do the right thing," He told him. "Mal was never meant to last here."

Ben refused to believe that, but since the conversation seemed to be over, he rushed out of the office and up to his room, slamming the door hard and throwing the books to the floor. He knew he had a decision to make, and one that wouldn't be easy with everyone butting into his business every five minutes it seemed.

He could extend the invitation to the ball to Mal and hope she would agree, and constantly watch her back the entire night, or he could keep her away, try to explain when he got the chance. He knew for damn sure he wasn't going to ask Audrey to the ball or any other questions at the ball. That was just barbaric and wrong.

The right choices weren't always easy.

From there, he made the decision to send two text messages.

 _I need you here ASAP._

 _Don't come to the reunion ball_

He hoped it would be enough.


	19. Chapter 19

Mal stared at her phone screen in disbelief. Had he really sent it, or was she somehow hallucinating? Had Audrey been right? Were she and Ben really doomed from the start?

 _Don't come to the reunion ball._

She refused to believe it. It had to be some trick by Audrey, stealing his phone while he slept, or tricking him into sending it somehow. It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to trick her into believing something that wasn't true. Yet she couldn't talk to him directly about it, with his busy schedule and Audrey hanging on him like she was painted on.

She needed to think, and the best thing that cleared her head was a long ride, and bringing food to the poor provinces as Bertha. It also helped that it seemed to piss off the royals. Ben had to know and she hoped it was driving him crazy.

It was late enough that she wouldn't get caught. So she stole down to the kitchen and began to load the cart with the food that they wouldn't eat. The mealy apples, the oranges that were darkened from over ripening, the bread that had formed a hard crust, anything that Ben had been known to turn his nose up at. she loaded the cart until it was nearly overflowing. Way more food was being thrown out now that there were more guests at the castle.

"You're leaving again." The familiar voice made her jump as she shut the kitchen door. She turned to see Ben, sitting against the back wall of the kitchen, rolling a fresh apple between his palms distractedly, his eyes on her. "Trying to upset more royals again, Bertha?" He stood up and began to move toward her, but she turned her attention to the cart again. How had he caught up with her?

"I'm not wanted here, or at the Reunion Ball, so I might as well make myself useful," She spoke, busying herself with the locks on the cart, even though she already knew they were secure. She wanted so bad to yell at him, scream everything that she had felt since he sent her the text earlier, but that would most likely wake everyone else up. She knew they didn't need an audience.

Ben sighed. "There are things going on that you don't understand," He answered, taking her arm gently. "I'm trying to protect you," He continued, his voice softer.

"I don't need protecting, Ben!" She answered, pulling her arm away from him. "If you didn't want me here, or ruining your Reunion Ball with all of the eligible princesses, you should have just said so."

Ben scoffed at that. "I never said I didn't want you here," He answered.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Really?" She asked, "Because texts don't lie, Ben. 'Don't come to the Reunion Ball' sounds like not wanting someone around to me," She continued, checking the cart's attachment to the horse. She hadn't wanted to have that conversation with Ben at that moment.

"Mal," Ben answered, his tone defeated as he reached for her shoulder and she turned to him, feeling her anger start to surge. "Kiss me." She stared at him like he was insane, which he was. "Run away with me," He continued and it seemed as though he was completely serious.

"Are you fucking insane?" Mal asked him, pushing him away with perhaps a little more force than she should have. He fell back onto the ground and she caught his eyes as he looked up at her, his eyes full of pain. "I think there are things going on here that you don't understand!"

Then she hopped on the horse and sent it into a fast gallop away from the weirdness that had just happened with Ben.

Just what the hell was going on?

* * *

Ben stayed awake all night, waiting for Mal to return. He read through all of the new declarations and the demands from the Mothers Against Intoxicated Driving, and managed to research quite a lot about history and faerie promises before the sun came up. He kept his attention toward the road to the castle, the only road that Mal could take back to the castle and waited as long as he could before he had to return to his duties of the day.

Mal had yet to return. He wondered if she would return at all, or if she would stay in one of the neighboring provinces until the Reunion Ball was over. He half wished she would. If the Dormants were going to try and make it a hellish night for her, it might be best if she stayed away. He didn't want to think of the terrible things his parents and the Dormants would think of doing just to keep their kingdom "pure".

Still, he would have liked to share that night with Mal.

He stared at his phone, trying to will it to tell him the right words to say, or type, or to do something to fix things. He knew Mal probably wouldn't read his texts, or anything he had to say, but maybe Evie would.

 _Tell me you have a plan._

He had explained everything to the best of his ability to Evie in a moment of weakness and had asked her opinion. She had told him that she would think about it hours ago.

The ball was quickly approaching and he was running out of ideas. Concerning Audrey, and Mal, and everything.

 _I'm working a few things out. Trust me, King Bennyboo._

As stupid as it was, that made him smile. It reminded him of Mal and her affections with the nickname that wasn't even hers.

He just wanted things to work out. He was putting his faith in several things that he had no control over.

He hated not being in control.

* * *

Audrey Dormant considered herself a genius as she dressed for the Reunion Ball. She had managed to keep Ben and Mal apart better than she had expected. All it took was a little convincing Mal, who had stupidly fallen for her ruse, and intercepting Ben's little love notes and cutesy gifts before Mal saw them.

Sure, he hadn't been flocking to her, but she figured that would come in time. Her father and former King Adam had spoken with Ben and then told Audrey that he would be coming around to invite her as his guest to the reunion ball, so she had put on her best dress and expected to be engaged by the end of the night, her manicure perfect for the thousands of "in your face" pictures to follow.

Still, there had been several factors that she hadn't taken into account. Chad for one. He was supposed to be arriving that night and as far as she knew he still had intense feelings for her, even though she thought she didn't. The other was Mal, surprisingly.

After the coronation, after she had chosen good, she and Ben had seemed so happy. As she had talked to her in the hall about their "truce" she had been so accepting, so gentle, and Audrey was going to trample on that happiness that evening.

She half wanted Mal to be there, to feel her disappointment, but she half wished Mal would stay away. That Mal had never shown up in Auradon at all.

Either way, as she dressed for the ball, stuffing her dress with the things her parents had asked, she couldn't help but think about the size of that rock that would be on her third finger of her left hand.

Nothing could go wrong. Her parents had everything under control.

* * *

Mal collapsed on her bed in exhaustion. It had been a long ride to the poorer provinces, but it had been so satisfying to see their joy at even the smallest scraps of food. It had even taken her mind off of Ben and his strange actions before she had darted away.

She could hear the festivities downstairs, just starting as she had escaped into her room with the help of a simple transfiguration spell. No one had noticed the moth slip through the front door and up the hallway toward her bedroom. No one had noticed as she collapsed onto the bed and wished for sleep.

Well except for her mother.

"Live up to your potential, Mal," she spoke, her minuscule voice practically shouting. "In my prime if I hadn't been invited to a party, I would have smited every last soul in that ballroom." Mal rolled her eyes. Of course her mother would have. She was the Queen of Revenge. "Quit moping and show them what happens when they double cross a Blackhearted Fae." Mal still continued to ignore her. "Show them the true damage a dragon can do!" She was practically begging for some kind of destruction.

"Or you could shove it all in their faces and have a good time anyway," A familiar voice spoke.

Mal shot up from the bed in shock. "Evie?" she asked, wondering if she was dreaming the blue haired girl into being. She had not expected her there. "What are you doing here?"

Evie smiled. "Just call me your Fairy Godmother," She answered, "Unless you would rather mope here all night."

Mal pulled Evie into a tight hug, desperate for something that was comfortable and familiar.

"What do you say?" Evie asked. "Moping and chick flicks, or rubbing it all in their faces?"

Mal flashed an evil grin. "I always have a soft spot for revenge," She decided.


	20. Chapter 20

Ben was bored. As Prince, he had been able to wander and mingle with the guests during the arrivals and strike up conversations with the people of Auradon. As king, it was his duty to occupy the throne on the far wall and be bowed to by everyone as the introductions were made and until the real festivities started.

He had watched as everyone entered and descended the stairs, making an immediate beeline to bow to the new king of Auradon and the Seven kingdoms, keeping a tally in his head of who had arrived and who had yet to arrive. So far, he had seen nearly everyone, but a few stragglers.

The VKs had arrived first. Well Carlos and Jay at least. He was sure Evie had gone right up to wait for Mal, if she was even coming back that night. Jay and Carlos had bowed, they had exchanged a few words about tourney and their time on the Isle of the Lost after their few months at Auradon Prep, then they headed over to the catering area, more specifically, the dessert arrangement.

Chad and the other students and their parents from Cinderellasburg arrived next, and Ben couldn't help but notice that Chad seemed unusually cold. Weren't he and Audrey a thing still, or had she broken it off with him in favor of the question she thought he was supposed to be asking that night?

Doug and the kids from Charmington, along with their parents arrived next and gave their bows and their polite conversation. Ben wasn't sure if Doug had seen Evie yet, but he politely let it slip that she was there too, hopefully with Mal.

He had given her specific instructions if Mal didn't show up back at the castle by a specific time. No sense ruining Evie's night with Doug too.

By the hint of a blush on Doug's cheeks, Ben had a feeling they had already reunited after a few weeks of summer vacation. He wasn't surprised. If he and Mal had been apart for even just a few weeks he would want to do the same thing, if they were able. That stupid kiss problem was really ruining his plans.

Slowly, the ballroom began to fill up, everyone mingling in the reunion of the seven kingdoms, as his father had first started two decades earlier. Still, there was no sign of anyone with violet locks. Several violet dresses that caught his eye, but no Mal yet.

Though he thought he saw Evie mingling in the crowd, so he held out. Or maybe Mal had pushed her away too. He figured he had messed up in their last interaction before she had left with his horse and the cart of food.

It had seemed like a great idea at the time. Kiss her, pass on the crown and the responsibility to someone else, live happily ever after wherever they ended up. Then he remembered that it would pass to her mother, the Mistress of Evil, and he had been relieved that she pushed him away. Still…

"Ladies and Gentleman, Kings and Queens, Princesses and Princes," the announcer for the night spoke from the sound booth in one of the corners, "it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the twenty-first annual reunion ball."

There were cheers at that, and Ben clapped along halfheartedly. It appeared that Mal wasn't coming and that he had to make a decision. The easy choice, or the unexpected choice?

"It is with greatest pleasure that King Benjamin and the Adamsons invite you into their halls to dance and dine. So let's get this party started!" Ben knew that was his cue to stand and start the festivities with his choice of a dance partner.

He wished Mal was there, but she had yet to show and he knew he couldn't wait forever, especially if she was still pissed at him for- well, everything. He knew everyone was expecting him to go to Audrey, his parents, her parents, probably the entire kingdom knew at that point, with the Dormants need to announce everything. But he didn't want to do that, especially with the rumors that were probably already circulating.

Instead, he went to Evie, and Doug, and bowed a short bow to her, offering her his hand. "Doug, I would be really appreciative if you would let me borrow Evie," He muttered to the boy standing beside Evie, obviously her date for the night. "Evie, please," He practically begged as the familiar tune of the kingdom dance started.

Evie hesitated and he almost couldn't wait to read the headlines the next morning, the flashbulbs already going off like crazy. He had expected that though, the press and the wild rumors that always followed the reunion balls.

That was why he had told Mal to stay away, whatever the Dormants were planning for her, he wanted to keep it out of the presses. Keep her as safe as possible, both physically and reputation wise.

"Carlos!" Evie whispered almost under her breath, her lips barely moving, "Would you hurry the hell up?"

Ben stared, already feeling awkward. Carlos wasn't even close to her, the last he had seen of the younger boy, he was by the sound booth looking innocent. Had the VKs planned something in Mal's absence, a small bit of revenge? Somehow that scared him, but they did know how to liven up a party.

The seconds began to feel like small infinities, dragging on, the Kingdom dance playing along, with slight feedback from the old record player, but traditions and old habits died hard and everyone waited for something to happen. All eyes were on Ben, and Evie.

Then in an instant, the record cut out with a loud screech and a spotlight swiveled to the top of the stairs. A thousand heads turned at once to the light, including Ben.

At the top of the stairs stood a young woman in a deep blue dress, the individual shimmers catching the light and looking like a thousand stars, the blue the exact color as Ben's suit. Her purple curls tamed and pinned back, looking absolutely stunning.

"We have a late arrival folks!" The announcer spoke, but everyone just continued to stare. "Sorry Cindy, someone had a better entrance than you tonight." That got some laughs, but Ben continued to stare for what seemed like hours, taking every small detail in that he could.

Her dress, her hair, her. She was there finally. She was there.

Then reality seemed to hit and he was pushing through people and running up the stairs to her, even though he knew it wasn't king like. He half hoped that would make her laugh or at least smile.

He stopped a few stairs short and bowed slightly, offering her his hand carefully, as if she were a rabid animal ready to pounce. He figured he should choose his words very carefully. She may have chosen good, but her mother was the mistress of all things evil and she had raised her for sixteen years.

"Mal, I'm sorry." He spoke, barely moving his lips with all the cameras around. It was the least he could say, especially for all that had been going on. "I'm glad you came." He continued, extending his hand further to her.

He tried not to jump as the first drop of tar scalding and sticky, hit his exposed wrist. He shifted his gaze up just barely, to see two buckets swinging just above his head. Then his eyes met Mal's green ones, glowing a violent neon green for an instant before she blinked. He knew exactly what she and the VKs had planned.

"A bit medieval, isn't it?" He asked, watching her carefully. It was obvious she was the ringleader of the entire scheme as she had been in most of their other schemes, the small earbud just barely peeking out behind her gold earring. "Tar and feathers?"

He knew everyone was staring, the press taking enough pictures in the few short seconds to fill an entire anthology and they had to do something soon. She didn't say a single word, but she gave him a little flash of a wicked smile and he knew he had to choose his next words very carefully.

"Do what you must," He said, bowing down lower, keeping his eyes on her, and the crown barely on his head. If she was furious enough to maim him and his image, then no amount of words would appease her. She was a VK after all, her mother the queen of bitterness and revenge.

"Jay," he heard her mumble as her large skirts bunched up in a bow back to him "Not tonight." And he heaved a sigh of relief as she took his extended hand and he squeezed it gently before leading her down a few of the steps.

"Thank you," He answered, taking a few deep breaths. He stopped her, letting the press get at least a few pictures, and she gripped his hand tighter.

"Do you trust me?" She asked, behind her smiles for the press, leaning into him slightly as if nothing had ever been wrong between them.

Ben let his eyes wander momentarily to the second bucket above them, then back to the cameras and the guests below. The reunion balls had always been stuffy and boring, but he didn't want to rule like his parents. He wanted the first reunion ball under his rule to be spectacular, nothing like a surprise for everyone.

"You want to cause a little mischief?" He asked, figuring that was the case and she nodded shortly. "Go ahead." He could face the press and his parents and whatever consequences later.

"Jay," she spoke, barely louder than a whisper next to him, "fly the colors."

There was a second of delay between when the crowd gasped in surprise and when Ben began to feel the airy touch of the feathers against his skin. He could see Mal next to him, the best look of surprise on her face, the cameras catching every second of the action as the multicolored feathers coated their hair and their clothes and the stairs around them.

He brushed a red feather from her cheek gently with his thumb and caught her eyes again. "I know I'm really late in asking, and I promise to explain everything later, but will you allow me the pleasure of escorting you to the reunion ball?"

* * *

Mal smiled a small smile, brushing a feather or two from Ben's shoulder. He had finally asked her to the ball, though the ball had started nearly an hour earlier. Better late than never, but it didn't hurt to tease him a little.

"I don't know," She answered, "Are you sure you're up to protecting me from all these people and the dangerous feathers?" She asked with a short laugh as she thought about their small interaction the night before.

"Just stick close to me and I'll roar at anyone who looks at you funny," He joked, squeezing her hand, though she wasn't so sure it was all a joke. She knew what his parents and Audrey's were planning.

She laughed, trying to ease the nervous look on his face. He led her down the stairs toward the middle of the dance floor, the crowd closing the gap behind them. Then he bowed to her and she bowed back to him, ready to begin the customary kingdom dance.

Only when the record player started, and skipped, jumping on the same note, there wasn't much of a dance, and they stood there awkwardly for several seconds as Evie and Jay shouted at Carlos through their earpieces to fix it when no one else seemed to be moving. Carlos ran over to the record player and mumbled through the periodic table of elements as he fiddled with it.

Of course, Evie and Jay took to chattering in her ear about their disappointment in not being able to tar and feather the king, or even ruin some nice carpet. With Carlos already reciting the periodic table of elements and talking to himself trying to fix the record player, it was all beginning to be too much for Mal.

Finally, Carlos got it to start and get past the few seconds of skipping. Ben began the bow over again, and Mal bowed back to him, then looked up at him with a look of pure horror.

The song coming out of the aged record player was not a song that Belle had taught her to dance over the past week. She was going into it blind, and with close to a thousand pairs of eyes on her.

So that was the first part of their torture, but nothing she couldn't handle. Ben seemed to catch on pretty quick.

"Follow me," He mouthed to her as they both stood straight again and he offered her his hand. She took it and he spun her close and back out further from him, but close enough to grab onto her hip and place her other hand in his. Then she tried to follow his feet as he pushed her hand gently, indicating which way they were going to turn.

Jay, Carlos and Evie had shut up, as had everyone else. The chatter all around the room had silenced and it almost felt like it was just her and Ben, dancing in what could have been an empty ballroom, the glimpse of bright feathers as they floated from their clothes and hair, like stars in her peripheral vision. It must have been a plumage of disaster to the reporters though.

"Mal," Evie gasped in the device in her ear, "You look like a princess!" Mal didn't care what she looked like, it had all been Evie's work anyway. "Everyone can't keep their eyes off of you," She gasped. It had always been Evie's dream to be the belle of the ball, not hers, and she couldn't help but tense up.

"Relax," Ben whispered when he spun her closer again. She nodded slowly and kept her eyes locked on him, trying to keep her face calm, though inside she was anything but calm. She would rather people be staring at her for things she was good at, like spells or graffiti.

"There's going to be a lift," He told her, guiding her backwards in the dance steps, and she felt quite relieved when she seemed to mirror them well enough. She had never been so relieved that Evie had shoved her into such a full skirt. "Don't freak out, but you're going to land on my toes." She wasn't about to argue. He knew the dance better than she did at that point and she wasn't about to freestyle it.

The swell in the music came and Ben readjusted his hands on her hips and she rested hers on his shoulders, knowing enough about lifts to know she should put her hands somewhere. He lifted her, spinning them together and placing her on the tips of his shoes as the tempo picked up and the dance steps became more complicated and quick.

Mal couldn't help but smile as Ben expertly navigated them across the floor with quick, light dance steps and it made Mal start to feel like a princess too. Ben smiled back at her as they broke into the last few measures of spins, slowing down as the song came to a close.

She dared not look away from him just yet, knowing that all eyes were on them and that she had no idea what was supposed to happen next. She had never been to a ball, and the only dance she had been to had been mostly a disaster, and the few ravers they threw on the isle. Not only that, but it was the closest they had been in weeks and she wasn't about to dart away as if it were midnight.

"That was-" Mal started, trying to catch her breath, but she couldn't find the right words as the aged record player sound gave way and music began playing from speakers around the room.

"Spectacular? Stunning? Superior?" He asked, still holding her close, balancing on his toes. "And those are just the S's," He added with a satisfied smile as people started to pair up and head for the dance floor too.

"Something like that," She answered, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "I missed you," She admitted into the collar of his shirt.

"I missed you too," Ben answered, brushing his hand over her back gently. All she wanted to do was stay there with him, though their private moment didn't last for long.

"Ben!" His mother called him over and Mal stared them down, trying to determine just what they were planning next. She had a feeling the wrong dance was just the beginning.

Ben put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly after they broke apart. "Go mingle and I'll find you in a few minutes," He suggested. She was afraid he was going to drag her over to his parents and try and make nice after his mother had spent a week teaching her useless dances. She wondered how much he knew of the plans for him.

Mal made her way over to where Evie and Doug were mingling with Snow and six of the dwarves, Carlos and Jay weren't too far away either, but she kept her eyes close to where Ben and his parents stood. She wished she could read lips, or understand French from across a room. She watched as Aurora Dormant led Audrey over to where the Adamsons stood.

Then Evie pulled her attention away from their interactions. "M, you looked like a total princess out there," She cooed, "I had to remind myself that your mother was the Queen of all things Evil." Mal rolled her eyes, "And that cute little smile thing that you and Ben do when you're together, you better invite me to the wedding!" She joked.

Carlos and Jay laughed, moving closer as Doug and Snow went for punch. Mal blushed. She knew that Evie knew what she and Ben were experiencing with the Dormants, but the only thing the boys had texted were memes, which Mal appreciated too, at the right time.

"I missed you guys," Mal told them, trying to distract herself from whatever Ben, his parents and Audrey and Aurora were talking about. She pulled them all into her arms, cramming them tight into an awkward hug. "Tell me everything about the isle and what I've missed," She requested. "And don't leave out any gory details," She practically begged. Things had been boring without the deep dark mischief of the isle kids.

Evie laughed. "Anthony Tremaine is all torn up about you and Ben," She explained, "He keeps telling anyone who will listen that the "no good rotten king" stole his girl." She did her Anthony Tremaine impression perfectly and Mal laughed as the three of them wiggled their hips and waggled their fingers as Anthony Tremaine.

"That's a load of-" she couldn't continue because she was laughing so hard as they boys continued their impression of Tremaine. She hadn't laughed that hard in a while. "What else?" She asked, still trying to distract herself from the current Ben/Audrey/Adamson/Dormant debacle.

"The Gastons have discovered zapchat and Vine," Carlos told her. "They won't stop sending everyone snaps of their-" Jay wrapped his hand around Carlos's mouth.

"Some things are better left to the imagination," Jay continued for him. "Other than tech and wifi, things are pretty much the same on the isle," He concluded. "Besides you and your mom missing."

After that, they turned to their old game of people watching, though it wasn't as fun as on the isle. They used to sit above the bazaar and make fun of the woman with too many one eyed goats, or the man that had a goiter the size of a soccer ball, or the goblins that always pronounced people's names wrong on purpose. For nearly six weeks, Jay and Mal went around calling each other Jorge and Frill.

At the reunion ball it was the same, though slightly different. Since the people were so close they had to whisper and choose their targets carefully.

Evie chose a young girl, a student from Auradon prep across the room in a neon yellow dress. "I don't think anyone told her that traffic lights don't belong in fashion," She laughed.

"Do you think it was white, but her highlighters exploded in her luggage?" Mal whispered back, feeling like she was a little out of practice.

"Who's the old guy?" Jay laughed, pointing to an elderly man, full of wrinkles and gnarled bones hobbling past the food table with the help of a long warped tree branch. "Did someone forget to tell him that death came calling about twenty years ago?"

They all laughed at that, though Mal watched him with interest. He was by far the oldest person there by decades and quite possibly centuries by the looks of him. He seemed out of place. There was a strange magic about him.

"Prince alert!" Carlos whispered and the rest of them waited for his pending insult. Then Mal realized it wasn't an insult, but a warning as Chad joined their small circle, looking quite uncomfortable.

"Mal?" He asked, avoiding her eyes as if she could turn him to stone with just a glance. "Can I talk to you," he looked to her fellow VKs, avoiding Evie too, and Doug, "uh, over there?" He asked.

She agreed, leaving her friends and joining Chad over by the punch bowl. She kept her defenses up, knowing exactly what a burden Chad had been at Auradon Prep. She had a feeling where Chad went, Audrey followed.

"Would you like some punch?" Chad asked, then before she answered, he poured a goblet for himself nervously and chugged the entire thing before he spoke again. "You should know that Ben is out in the gardens with Audrey, getting ready to make their entrance as King and his future queen."

Mal stared, just trying to process all of what Chad had told her and what she knew to be true over the past few weeks. Her truce with Audrey seemed completely stupid the more she thought about it. She had been an idiot to even try and think that Audrey wouldn't double cross her like her parents and Ben's parents were trying to do.

"I thought you and Audrey were still together," Mal answered, trying to pull the truth from the tangled web of lies. "Why would Ben be proposing to your girlfriend?" She asked, not knowing who to trust, or who to listen to, especially after all she knew that she wasn't supposed to know.

"Audrey dropped me like a beautiful mirror and shattered all of my hopes right after finals," Chad lamented, yanking at his collar nervously. "Do you want to try and stop them, or should I?" He asked.

Mal tried to keep her calm, knowing her anger would not be good to reveal to practically all of the servants of the seven kingdoms of Auradon. "I will," She decided, she figured she could handle it better than Chad, who was already sweating bullets.

She turned away from the punch table and focused on the exit at the opposite side of the ballroom, the door that led to the gardens. Barely a few steps past the center of the ballroom, she ran right into someone. "I am so deeply sor-" she looked up to see Phillip Dormant. "Sorry," She stuttered out, the smell of strong alcohol on him.

He grabbed her arm roughly and she yelped out in shock more than anything else but the music covered up her sound. He held her there in his tight grasp. "You're too late to stop things set in motion," He slurred at her, and she watched him carefully. She was sure to everyone else it looked like they were having a polite conversation, or so she hoped. She knew he was trying to keep her occupied so she couldn't run to Ben.

She could think of several things to say to Phillip Dormant, her mother's killer, in the literal sense of the word, but she tried to keep her anger in check. She knew his status among the rest of the royals and she knew hers. He could easily twist it to say that she had attacked him. He was drunk off of more than just alcohol anyway.

"Audrey is the better choice for King Ben," He continued, his grip still strong on her arm, even though she struggled against him without trying to make too much of a scene. The music made for a pretty good cover. "She has more poise in her little finger than you could ever hope to possess in your entire worthless fae body."

Mal watched him carefully. She knew the rest of her fellow VKs were watching her, their earpieces full of his spiteful words too, but she dared not look away. She was sure others were watching too.

"Mal," she heard Jay's voice in her ear, "You want us to step in?" He asked and she raised her free hand slightly to tell them all to stay put. It was her fight, not theirs.

"It was only a matter of time before Ben realized that you were just the fling, but Audrey would get his ring." He grabbed her hand, yanking at Ben's signet ring roughly and Mal realized there was no way they weren't making a complete scene as she fought him off. Maybe it just looked like some strange dance. "Kings do not marry isle sluts."

"Mal?" Evie repeated gently, and she was sure it was going to be the same question that Jay had asked. "Remember what happens when you get angry," She reminded her, "This is not the place."

Somehow, than only made Mal's anger surge further, but she knew she was nowhere near that angry yet. "Phillip Dormant," she answered, trying to channel her mother and stay the cool brand of anger, pulling her hand from his grasp, her arm still pinned. "Your daughter may have more charm, and more class than I." She already knew that, she wasn't raised in castles with servants for her every need, she was raised on the isle, where insults were thrown like compliments. "But what you should know about this isle slut," she spit the slur out with more hatred than he had, "is you won't like her when she's angry."

"Mal!" Carlos joined in, but she kept her focus on Phillip, his grip only growing tighter on her as she struggled against him. She kept her free hand outstretched to stop her friends.

She hadn't meant to egg Phillip on, but he seemed to take it as a challenge. "Are you as much of a whore as your mother was?" He asked her and she watched him carefully, wondering what words would stumble out of his mouth next. "Do you kneel before your king and beg him to use your pretty mouth as he wishes?" He asked, gripping her cheeks hard with his hand, but she kept her composure. Her friends were right, the hot brand of anger would not be good around so many people. They were just ugly words that didn't mean anything. She had heard much worse on the isle.

"Or do you whine and whine until he spreads your legs and fucks you in your-" his hand moved further down her neck toward the top of her dress, and before he got any further, Mal grabbed his arm and twisted hard shoving him to the ground. Enough was enough.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She shouted, shoving him away with such force that she knew there was no way the other guests hadn't known something was going on, that there was no way she hadn't seriously injured his arm. She could feel that familiar warm anger rising from her chest and she knew what was coming, but it was too late to stop it.

She could feel her vision darkening as the searing pain shot through her forehead, her grip tightening against Phillip's arm, her foot in his back, nearly threatening to tear his arm from the socket. Yet, he kept egging her on, his face in the exquisitely tiled floor.

"Your mother thought she could seduce all of the seven kings of the seven kingdoms," Phillip continued, his drunkenness preventing most of the pain he should have been feeling. "Are you going to beat her record of five?" He asked. "Or are you worried you would enjoy it too much with your possible fathers?"

Her vision cleared and the searing pain eased and Mal knew there was no turning back. She barely even noticed the flashing of the cameras and the shocked gasps of the other guests. All she cared about was the trickle of blood down her forehead and Phillip Dormant below her as her heel pushed further into his back.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Ben shouted with enough volume and force to pull her from her anger just enough to focus on him standing before her.

Well Fuck.


	21. Chapter 21

Ben had wanted an exciting reunion ball, but he didn't quite get the excitement he wanted when he came back in from the gardens with Audrey. He thought the most stressful part of the night would be trying to let down Audrey easy and not sending her into histrionics. He did not expect to walk into what looked like a complete brawl, with Mal right in the middle of it.

Honestly, Mal in the middle of it wasn't too surprising. He had hoped that the reunion ball would go better than Family Day had, but it didn't seem like it from where he was standing.

He hadn't seen what had started it, or who had started it, but Mal was hard to miss in the middle of the dance floor with Phillip Dormant. Her words calm, yet full of malice.

"Phillip Dormant," she spoke, keeping direct eye contact and even from the opposite side of the ballroom he could see the green glow that signified trouble was on its way if Phillip wasn't careful. "Your daughter may have more charm, and more class than I, but what you should know about this isle slut-" she spit the slur out with more hatred than Ben had ever seen her use and he wondered who had called the name first. "-is you won't like her when she's angry."

Ben stared on, just what had he missed in the ten or so minutes he had stepped out?

"Are you as much of a whore as your mother was?" Phillip asked her. Ben had spent enough summers with him to know that he was drunk. Things never went well when Phillip was drunk and Ben wished for a peaceful resolution somehow, even though he could feel his own fists curl in rage. Still, the thought that Mal had said she didn't need protecting flashed in his head.

He didn't want her anger upon him too.

"Do you kneel before your king and beg him to use your pretty mouth as he wishes?" Phillip asked, gripping her cheeks hard with his hand. Mal didn't show any sign of retaliation. Ben stood frozen, shocked just as everyone else seemed to be. That was his girlfriend Phillip was talking about, had his hands around, and even the VKs were still. Then he saw it. Mal was holding them back too, her free hand outstretched in the universal sign for "wait". She wanted to handle it herself.

"Or do you whine and whine until he spreads your legs and fucks you in your-" Ben didn't think he could make fists any tighter, and yet his knuckles curled tighter. Phillip's hand moved further down her neck toward the top of her dress, and Ben was ready to step forward, the idea of Mal's need to protect herself and not be saved forgotten. Before Phillip got any further, Mal grabbed his arm and twisted hard shoving him to the ground.

"Don't you dare touch me!" She shouted, shoving him further into the tiled floor. Ben had nearly missed it, as it happened so fast, but she held Phillip down, her heel shoved into his back, pulling his arm farther out of the socket than it should have been. He knew he should really step in and stop her, before she got too much further, but he was frozen where he stood, as was everyone else.

He hoped Phillip would shut his mouth, and come to terms with the fact that a girl half his age and size had shoved him face first into the dance floor, but Phillip had always been too cocky for his own good.

"Your mother thought she could seduce all of the seven kings of the seven kingdoms," Phillip spoke, his drunkenness most likely preventing him most of the pain and preventing him from shutting up. "Are you going to beat her record of five?" He asked and Ben wasn't even sure how true that was, but he could feel his own anger rising as a growl in his throat, if he had had hackles, they would be up.

"Or are you worried you would enjoy it too much with your possible fathers?" Phillip asked and Ben watched as Mal began to change before him, her anger as she shoved Phillip further into the tiles, transforming her.

In the blink of an eye, she wasn't Mal anymore, or at least not as much Mal. Her skin had greened, taking on the sickly translucent hue of that of a healing bruise, her eyes glowing green with her anger, and what looked like two Rams horns jutting out of her head and tangling in her hair.

She looked more like her mother and that seemed to scare people, the flashbulbs capturing proof before she quite possibly destroyed them all. It scared him what could happen in the next few minutes, but he stepped forward anyway, knowing he needed to call everyone to order.

How did his dad used to do that? Right, yelling. And Ben had enough rage in him to quell a tsunami.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" He roared, effectively pulling everyone's attention back to him, including Mal, sharing more of her mother's features than ever.

Phillip again, couldn't keep his mouth shut. "The faerie attacked me!" He shouted, his face shoved further into the floor as he spoke. Mal was not happy, and she wasn't about to let him up it seemed.

At the mention of the F word, everyone in the room seemed to change too, not physically, but in their stances and their expressions. The best Ben could describe it was brainwashing somehow, and they all moved like a zombie horde toward Mal.

He didn't have to be spelled himself to know that it was magic. He looked around to see that Carlos, Evie and Jay seemed normal still too. Evie had her hands to her mouth in shock and the boys stared, wondering what Faerie Mal would do next. Everyone else was closing in on her and Ben didn't want to wait and see what happened when they swarmed her.

"Mal," he spoke, taking a few steps closer to her, and she stared him down with her glowing green eyes and her spiked teeth.

"That is not my name," She spat at him, Phillip still under her, the hoard moving closer, getting close enough for her to touch and maim if her evil little heart so desired. Chad got close enough to swipe at her and she plowed him to the ground with a simple fist.

"Mal, sweetie," Evie started, her voice shaking, she was scared of that Mal and she seemed to know it. "It's time to put the horns away," She said gently, moving closer to Mal too.

"That is not my name," The Mal that wasn't quite Mal spoke again, dropping an entire line of people with a green streak of magic.

"What are we to call you?" Ben asked, fending off more guests as gently as he could as they closed in on her. Still, they pushed past him, knocking into him as if he were just someone else, not their king. Whatever the spell was, it was bad news. Still, it seemed that anger would not be the way to appease her. Negotiations would be best, judging by the way the green magic mowed down any guest that got close enough to her.

Mal gave him an evil smile that rivaled her mother's. "Can you not guess, Benjamin Florian Adamson, son of the Beast?" She asked, looking right into his soul it seemed.

Ben cringed. The papers were going to have a field day with this scandal. "Maleficent!" He called out, hoping he was right, wishing he was wrong. By the way she reacted, turning her full attention to him and no longer casting streaks of green lightning across the room, he knew he had been right. It was better than nothing and he went with it. "I need you to come with me," He said, sneaking a glance to Evie and the boys, knowing they had to escape the mob somehow. He had to keep Mal safe however he could.

She stared at him, and he could swear he could see a shade of Mal behind the faerie. "Why should I go with you, Benjamin Florian Adamson, if you are frightened of me?" She asked, as more guests closed in on her and she brought the green flames back to her hands.

Ben stood taller, keeping eye contact with her as more green magic surged from her hands, sending more guests to the floor. "I'm not frightened of you," He spoke calmly, his eyes in complete contact with hers, his face calm as the chaos reigned all around them.

Faerie Mal hissed. "You lie!" She shouted, her magic surging with her emotions, flying around the room and zinging through the wine glasses shattering them into a thousand shards. The zombies that had once been guests unaffected. Ben himself unaffected.

Ben took a deep breath, he hadn't expected that. "Have I ever lied to you before?" He asked, knowing he had, but only to protect her. He moved closer to her as the hoard began reaching into their suits and dresses and dropping what looked like salt or sugar on the floor all at once.

She couldn't answer before she became distracted, spouting out numbers like she was calculating something. "4,538." She spoke, looking at a small pile of salt closest to her. "8,764," She continued, removing herself from Phillip and pushing her way through the crowd counting the small piles of sugar or salt. Ben stared, slightly confused as Mal followed the trail of them to-

He looked down toward where the path led and saw the net she was about to step foot in. If he had to guess, and his knowledge of fae was accurate, he would say it was iron. "Mal!" He shouted, unable to get her full name out as her foot tripped the mechanism and it swooped her up in its metal clutches, burning her skin wherever it made contact and sending ear splitting shrieks from her lungs.

The crowd swarmed under the net, as if she were some kind of piñata and they were desperate for the prize inside. Ben covered his ears, her shrieks not only ear splitting, but it was Mal in there and the whole situation just made him scared and livid. He had to come up with a plan somehow.

"Ben!" Jay shouted, pointing up to the coat of arms above the throne, the swords of his parents' families intertwined. If it hadn't been such a weird situation, he would have laughed at the thief finding the shiniest gold thing in the room. He was sure he had never seen the swords actually used, but it was worth a shot.

He ran for it, pushing past the zombified subjects of his court, his fellow students and their parents. He was trying not to hurt them, but Mal's cries were only becoming more agonizing the longer she was trapped.

"Carlos!" He shouted as he jumped up on the throne and grabbed the far sword of the coat of arms, "Jay! I need you to keep the crowd back," He explained as he pulled and the whole arms came crashing down with him in one piece. The loud crash not even distracting the horde in the slightest.

"Bashing some faerie hating zombies?" Jay shouted back, already waist deep in arms grabbing for the net, "You don't have to tell me twice." And where Jay went, Carlos followed.

"Evie!" Ben shouted to her, pulling her out of her frightened stupor. "I need you to talk Mal down," He explained as he tried to shake the sword out of the gold encasement. "You've seen her like this before?" He asked, though he figured she had.

"Never this bad," Evie explained, moving closer to Mal, still writhing in pain, her shrieks unbearably uncomfortable. "Mal, sweetie!" She began to shout over the deafening sounds all around them. "It's Evie." He didn't hear the rest as he fought to smash the arms to bits. And it was nearly impossible to hear anything over her deafening screams and the sounds of battle from Jay and Carlos, who might have been having a bit too much fun.

Finally, the sword shook loose enough that he could maneuver it out. He just had to reach high enough to slice through the net and hope that it would be enough to knock Mal loose. Or Maleficent, whatever she wanted to be called.

"Jay!" He shouted again and Jay turned back to him, looking quite satisfied as he bashed two teenage boys heads together. Ben cringed. They would feel that later. "Shield jump!"

It was one of Jay's favorite tourney moves, probably because it was illegal in most tourney tournaments, but if he could get it right, it might boost him high enough to get to Mal. He slid one of the silver platters from the dining table across the floor to Jay and then waited for Jay to get into position. Of course, if it went wrong, he could run himself, or Mal through with the sword, but no pressure.

Jay crouched down, holding the platter like a tourney shield and Ben gave it one last look over before he broke into a sprint and jumped up as high as he could when Jay flipped the platter up, giving him an extra boost of height. Just enough to grab onto the net and shake off the zombie hand that had grabbed his ankle as he had tried to jump. He looked down to see Audrey, zombified. He expected nothing less from her, even as a zombie.

If he weren't so focused on getting faerie Mal to shut up after screeching nearly non stop for several minutes, he would have made a jab about having to save her; if he wanted to be murdered, a "honey I'm home" joke. But it was no time for jokes. Her shrieks were starting to drive him insane. He climbed up the net, to the top, thankful he had chosen tourney and weight lifting along with Mock Trial as his after school activities.

His knowledge of traps didn't hurt either as he shoved the sword between the joined corners of the net and the thick rope it had been strung up with. It was going to be a pretty rough landing for both of them, and whoever happened to be under them. He sliced through and closed his eyes, though the drop wasn't that far.

Everything was quiet for several long seconds as Ben lay on the three or four people he had taken out. Even faerie Mal had stopped shrieking. Everything has seemed to stop, except it really hadn't. The zombie hoard was still reaching for faerie Mal and Jay, Carlos and now Evie were fighting them off.

"Run!" Evie shouted at him, pulling him out of the brief shock of their landing. "We'll hold them off, but get Mal out of here." They did seem to know what they were doing.

Ben stood and looked down at faerie Mal, mumbling to herself about liars and thieves and numbers. He did not want to have a repeat of their previous conversation, or of her previous entrapment. He squared his shoulders, pulled the crown back onto his head and looked right at her, fangs, horns, green skin and all.

"My name is King Benjamin Florian Adamson," he spoke, his voice confident and strong. "I am King of Auradon and the seven kingdoms, like my father before me and I command you to follow me, Maleficent Bertha Blackheart of the fae." He had never had to command her, or anyone else officially before, but it felt amazing to have that power surge through him.

Mal had her spells. He had his commands.

She stopped mumbling in an instant and stood, as if the once ballroom guests, now in tattered gossamer and blood stained tuxes, didn't bother her at all. Then he led her toward the wine cellar doors on the wall closest to them. There were a few secret passages that he could think of that would come in handy.

"Evie!" He shouted and she whipped her head around, bashing her fist backwards into Chad's nose with a satisfied smile. "How do I break it?" He asked, wondering if there was anything special he needed to do, hoping it wasn't permanent. He fought off Audrey and Jane, holding Faerie Mal behind him. He resisted smiling, suddenly feeling like the referee in a girl fight.

"It's like PMS!" She shouted back and both Jay and Carlos giggled. "I just usually throw chocolate at it and hope for the best," She admitted, elbowing Lonnie and Mulan back.

"Get out of here!" Carlos shouted. "The zombies get worse the longer they're exposed."

Ben had so many questions, but he knew they would have to be answered later. He turned Mal toward the doors and began to push her through when a hand gripped his shoulder hard. He turned to see Phillip Dormant staring right at him, not zombified like the others, the stench of alcohol nearly unbearable.

"That thing will never be Queen!" Phillip spat out, trying to push past Ben to get to faerie Mal, his eyes crazed with more than just the drink.

Ben tried to keep his anger in check, but after all that he had gone through at the hands of the Dormants and his parents, and after the way he had heard Phillip speak to Mal, after their attempts to trap her with a strange magic, he was completely done.

"That thing," he started, "that girl," he amended, "is my girlfriend!" He gripped the lapels of Phillip's suit hard, practically pulling the older man off the ground, his anger and frustration surging through him like an electric shock. "And I would appreciate it if people started acting like it," He growled, shoving Phillip toward the floor and advancing on him. He needed to hit something and it would be so satisfying to get a little revenge on the man, the part of the group that had tried to make his life horrible.

"Ben!" Evie shouted, bringing his attention back to the three of them fending off the subjects of the court, still trying to chase Faerie Mal into the cellars. She decked his father right in the nose and Ben himself found a strange satisfaction in it. "Get out of here!"

He didn't need to be told again. He remembered Faerie Mal waiting for him and turned on his heel, slamming the door down to the cellars shut behind him. Then he took Faerie Mal's freezing hand in the darkness. They had to get to the secret passages.

From there, once he could think clearly again, they could make a plan.


	22. Chapter 22

Her vision was blurred in the limited light of the room he had led her into, her feet tripping down the stairs, his hand the only salvation from her falling down into nothing. It seemed like the cellars from the spider webs that tickled against her delicate skin and general smell of dampness. Everything hurt, then came the loud scraping of wood against stone and everything hurt worse as he gently led her into a darker place.

"It burns!" She shrieked in a voice that wasn't quite her own. It was too high, too ear splitting, too fae. "The iron, it burns!" She wailed. Even though it wasn't touching her, in the close proximity after she had already been practically shredded by the iron net, it felt like it could have been. She wouldn't stand the idea of wandering further down, where there was more iron she knew.

The secret passages were lined with it and Ben was trying to lead her down them, harm her, hurt her. Kill her!

"No!" She shrieked, fighting against him, swinging her arms wildly, but he held her and dragged her as she tried to escape. "You are just like the rest of those spineless subjects!" She shouted at him, her voice, her body not quite hers, giving over to the anger. "You will not murder me, Boy King!"

He released his tight grip on her and the sound of wood scraping against gravel came again, her blurred vision not telling her anything, or indicating any movement until she felt the warm silk of his jacket around her shoulders. The pain subsided slightly, becoming more bearable and she felt her vision clear just slightly. The fog of anger was starting to clear too.

After what felt like several minutes she could finally look at Ben, who was starting to look like more than just a shadowy figure. She was sure he had to be quite stunned. He had probably never seen a true faerie before and the effects they had on, well, everyone.

"Do I scare you?" She asked gently, pulling her attention away from his figure several feet away and focusing on the gold buttons of his jacket wrapped around her. She was starting to feel like herself, though she knew she didn't look it.

She heard Ben shift next to her, his shoes scuffing against the stone floor. Then she looked up from the insignia of the gold buttons to see Ben standing before her, the features of his face becoming clearer.

"No, you don't scare me," He admitted, bringing the tips of his fingers to her chin gently to meet her eyes and she felt a blush fill her chilled cheeks. "The only thing that scares me is not being able to protect you from-" he paused, "whatever that was," He concluded.

Mal heaved a sigh of relief. "That was what happens when I get pissed," She admitted, trying to keep a straight face as the features of Ben's face before her became clearer still, his blue eyes and the crook in his nose from when she had broken his nose. "Full faerie usually tends to set people off." It wasn't the first time she had gone full faerie and she thought about the few times on the island that hadn't been half as bad. Then again, magic hadn't been involved there. "It's probably better you're being set up with Audrey," She added, her tone flat.

She could see Ben trying to process everything. "Her father had no right to say those things," he told her gently. Then he took her hand and led her toward the farthest corner from the ballroom.

"What are you doing?" She asked, watching him as he knelt down and sat against a barrel of wine. He seemed entirely too relaxed about the whole thing. Everyone else had freaked out when they had seen her go full evil faerie.

He pat the spot next to him. "We can't go back out there," He told her as a loud thump rattled the doors at the top of the stairs making her jump. "And there's no way I'm forcing you through the tunnels with all that iron." It was the polite way to say they were stuck. "You're stuck with me, Maleficent Jr.," he told her with a cheeky smile.

She tried to keep a straight face, but the slight smile broke through. "Are you sure you want to tease me, Boy King?" She asked before she sat down in the spot next to him, her movements ginger and slow, her skin still burning from the contact with the iron, her head heavy and aching from the horns that had sprouted from her skull.

She tried to make things less awkward between them by knocking into him gently, but even the slightest contact against him hurt and she winced. She was used to people staring, or going full zombie, but fully accepting was strange. She could feel Ben's eyes on her as she readjusted and waited for the pain to dull again.

"May I?" Ben asked, his fingers resting on the lapel of his jacket around her shoulders. She nodded and he slipped it off with the gentlest of touches. Then he inspected the angry red raised crisscrossed bites from the iron on her skin with the gentlest of care. She kept her eyes closed, waiting for the touch of his hands and the pain that would follow.

She jumped as he took her hand and kissed it. At the same time, another thump came from the door at the top of the stairs. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

"The agreement between my parents and the Dormants is no longer in place," Ben told her. "Especially after what just happened," He continued, intertwining their fingers and gripping her hand tightly. "Our parents were forcing me to propose to Audrey or they would make the night terrible for you," He explained, "That was why I told you to stay away."

She didn't look right at him, thinking about all that had happened since the Dormants had arrived. How quickly everything had escalated from their first few days of summer vacation.

"It became terrible anyway," Mal answered, looking away from him and into the darkness. She thought about how great it had started out amazing with the feathers and their dance, that had nearly become a disaster, but that had turned out alright anyway. Then Phillip Dormant had made her angry and she had ruined everything.

"I'm glad you came," He said, and she could feel his eyes on her. It made her feel awkward with her greened skin, pointed teeth and horns wild enough to take out an eye or two. It made her feel worse that he was trying to make light of the disaster that she had caused.

"Yeah," she answered, looking back at him with a scoff, "Nothing like a rogue faerie and a zombie hoard to liven up a dull reunion ball." She wished she could really laugh at it all, it was so evil that she should have been reveling in the complete destruction, but she wasn't. She still felt like an idiot for a lot of things. Avoiding Ben at Audrey's command being one of them.

"Well at least I finally got you alone," Ben admitted with a small satisfied smile and she matched his smile, as best she could with the pointed fangs. He was always the one to find the silver lining in the darkest of clouds.

Another bang sounded against the cellar doors and Ben pulled his attention away from her and toward the sound. "Not that I don't like it," he started, staring at the doors, wondering when the next blow would come, "But how long does rogue faerie usually last?"

"A few hours," She answered. "Though it's never been this bad before," She explained, the fear that she would be stuck that way making her start to shake. Her mother had kept the horns and the sallow skin permanently. "They should start to feel normal again in a few hours, but the farther I am the better." She explained, staring down at the aged burn on her palm, from her first instances with the secret tunnels. "Your parents and the Dormants have been conspiring to keep us apart," She continued, thinking about what she had heard that day in the tunnels and trying to distract herself from the idea of looking like her mother permanently.

"I know," He answered, and she looked up at him, the flickering light of the aged lamps dancing across his still face. "All of Auradon was trying to keep us apart, and I let them," He admitted, his eyes softening as they landed on her.

"Well they had a good reason," She answered, pointing up to the horns. "The daughter of Maleficent in top secret kingdom meetings? The scandal!" She gasped in manufactured shock. She was starting to feel more like herself and that was a good start.

Ben laughed too though it wasn't a genuine laugh, then became serious again. "I shouldn't have let them," He admitted, shifting closer to her. "I won't let them anymore," He continued.

She put her free hand to his cheek gently, trying to not focus too much on the off shade of her skin or the shiver that he tried to hide. "Ben," she spoke, trying to sound like herself. "I understand that kingly duties come first," She said, trailing her fingers across his jawline. "I knew that before the coronation, and I know you think that you need to put me first, but Auradon needs their king before I need my boyfriend."

He removed the crown from his head, placing it next to him on the cellar floor. "Right now, I just want to be your boyfriend," He said, turning his attention back to her, "If you'll let me," He added, watching her carefully.

She nodded slowly, the extra weight making her extra aware of her movements. "I would like that," She admitted and he moved closer to her gently, not quite sure how close he should get and she took his hand again.

"How do you do it?" She asked after a few short seconds of silence, looking past his knee to the crown. There had to a secret to compensating for the extra weight on her head, if it was permanent. The crown had to be pretty heavy, right?

"Do what?" He asked. "Be your boyfriend?" He asked with a cheeky smile, "Well, it's not the easiest when we're alone in the dim lights of the wine cellar and all I want to do is hold you and kiss you, and I'm terrified of hurting you," He admitted.

She let out a short laugh, feeling the warmth come to her cheeks. She had missed how he could turn a simple explanation into something completely romantic. "The crown," she explained, pulling her eyes from his and focusing on the gold crown at his side. "Isn't it heavy?" She asked.

He shrugged. "It's a decent weight," He guessed, "And it does take some getting used to, but-" he turned and picked up the crown to hand it to her. "Here."

"Oh no," she answered, shaking her head and backing away "There's no way I'm taking your crown like this," She continued, "That's just a little too symbolic for the situation we're in."

She let out a sigh of relief when he put it back down next to him. "It's like your horns," He decided. "They're heavy when they first come out, right?" He asked, and she nodded. "But I bet by the time they disappear after a few hours you forgot they were there?" She shrugged, the last time they had seriously come out, green skin and all, was when she was six and they had been there for days.

She hoped they wouldn't stay for days that time.

"Come here," he told her gently, calling her back to him, and she kept her distance for several long seconds, unsure what he was planning to do. Eventually she moved closer to him. He turned her away from him and began pulling the pins out of her hair and to her surprise relieving some of the pressure. "When Dad's hair was long, he would have to tie it back to wear the crown. He would always complain that he hated the pressure the crown caused." She shivered as he ran his fingers through her curls, spreading them out. "Better?" He asked.

She nodded, turning back to look at him. "Thank you," She answered back as he leaned onto his elbow behind her.

"Tell me something," He said, his voice calm as he watched her. She felt stiff, like she was a research subject, but she turned to face him. "Do you feel more like yourself when you're Maleficent or Mal?"

She didn't even have to think about it. She knew exactly what he was talking about. "I am Mal," She answered. "Maleficent Jr. just makes me feel icky." She explained with a small smile, quite self conscious of her sharp toothed grin.

Ben pushed himself to his feet and offered her his hand. "Come on," He said and she stared at him. "It doesn't hurt as much when you smile, right?" He asked her and she nodded slowly. "Well I'm going to make you smile." She took his hand and he pulled her up. "And yes, that was a promise," He whispered to her as he pulled her closer, wrapping one arm around her waist and keeping her other hand in his.

She gasped and he smiled as he spun her slowly, then pulled her close again. "You're going to poke your eye out if you're not careful," She answered bitterly.

"If that's what it takes," Ben answered, pulling her close again. Then he began humming into her ear, the same tune they had danced to at the Spring Dance after all the chaos that had happened then, the occasional shaking of the cellar door almost like a beat in the background, pulling her attention from him. "I'll protect you," He told her, pausing his humming momentarily. "Even though you don't need protecting," He added.

That made her smile a quick smile before she thought about how they were trapped. She rest her cheek against his shoulder, his heart beating in her ear, his humming vibrating through his chest. In that moment, nothing else mattered and she smiled, not caring that they were momentarily trapped.

Ben stopped humming against her, his voice soft, as it vibrated through his chest. "When you spelled me with that cookie, did you ever consider that you would want to stay?" He asked.

She shook her head slightly, nuzzling against him, her thoughts racing. Why was he asking that at that moment? Was he worried she would leave?

After that, they stayed quiet for several minutes, just swaying slightly to the silence of the wine cellar. She waited, keeping her mouth shut, thinking about all the possibilities.

Ben took a deep breath. "Would you still be with me if I weren't a king?" He asked. "If I were someone or something else?"

Mal pulled her head away from him and stared, their joint motion stopped, the wine cellar completely silent. "I've never been good at being close to people," She explained, watching his facial expressions carefully. As she expected, his face began to fall, "but I can tell you that your status as king doesn't change anything," She told him, bringing her hand up to his cheek again. She watched his face pick up again. "What made you ask that?" She asked. Was it because of the things Phillip Dormant had said? Did he wonder if she was like her mother in more than just appearance? Her attention was forced back to the door and the sounds of chaos behind it. The last thump louder than the ones before, the splitting of the aged wood accompanying it.

Ben pulled the sword from the floor, gripping it hard and charging forward, past her and toward the chaos. "We might have to move soon," He told her, looking back to her. What a convenient time for a subject change.

She looked to the door, the crashing of the wood against the metal hinges their sign to leave. "I can probably make it through the tunnels," She explained. She knew they needed to get farther away from those in the zombie haze.

Ben nodded, "Go," he agreed and she figured he didn't want a repeat of the ballroom. He sounded almost scared. "Pull the wine bottle at the end of the middle shelf," He instructed, "I'll follow you." She picked up his jacket and then she just stared at the crown still on the cellar floor. "I've got it," He told her, once he followed her eyeline.

"You're going to come to a fork in the tunnel," he continued, watching the door, spinning the sword nonchalantly, anxiously, waiting. "Go to the right and you'll end up outside my dad's office. I will catch up with you there, but if I don't, there's a snow globe of an ice skating scene on his desk. That leads to another secret passage. Wait there," He explained. "It'll be safe."

"Ben," she started, watching him carefully.

"Mal, go!" He told her, glancing back to her. "I know what happens when faeries are caught."

She nodded once then pulled the bottle of wine, opening the shelf to the secret passage. She heard the crack of the cellar doors giving way as she pulled the shelf shut behind her.

She pulled a green flame to her hand to light the way, and worked through the pain of the closeness of the iron and began to make her way down the passage, Ben's roar of courage in her ears.

* * *

Ben had never fought a day in his life. He had never had a cause to, having most of his problems solved with delegation or peaceful talks. Auradon and the seven kingdoms hadn't been in any wars in over thirty years, his father ran a tight kingdom, exiling all of the potential threats to the Isle of the Lost. Until he had decided to bring the four worst to Auradon to go to school. Then, he had something to fight for.

Mal.

Luckily, it was a requirement at Auradon prep to take fencing and he knew enough to block and not maim. They were his subjects, his classmates, and his elders and the VKs had already maimed them enough.

Still, they seemed to enjoy it. Jay's smile was huge as he knocked Snow White and Ariel to the ground. Carlos jumped over Jane, Fairy Godmother and Chad to block their advancement toward Ben. Even Evie sported a small smile as she fended off the dwarves.

"What are you still doing here?" Jay asked him, swinging his fists through a line of people. "Shouldn't you be chasing after Mal?" He asked, picking up Carlos and swinging him legs first into several people.

"We can take care of them," Carlos continued, landing on his feet and picking up one of the dwarves and pile driving him into the other six and Ben didn't doubt it. They had kept them back for at least ten minutes before they had broken through.

Ben had to agree. He turned to pull the wine bottle and a pair of hands grabbed him hard. He turned to see Audrey and Lonnie pulling him back hard, with such a strength that the crown shifted on his head. He turned toward them and pulled himself from their grip in the most delicate way possible, but they clung to him like glue.

Evie jumped forward and pulled them back with a strength he didn't know she had. Though she didn't seem as hesitant to hurt them if necessary. "Get out of here!" She growled at him as she pushed him forward.

He didn't need to be told twice as more hands grabbed for him, pulling hard at him even as he slammed the shelf shut on a few fingers.

He had to find and protect Mal.


	23. Chapter 23

Mal jumped as she ran right into a huge spider web, effectively shorting out her flame and plunging her into darkness. The sticky web got caught in her hair and her clothes and it was several minutes before she could get free and reorient herself in the right direction.

She returned the green fire to her palm and continued in the same direction that she had been before she had been deterred. She squirmed as the flame illuminated the tunnel, coated with thick cobwebs as far as she could see.

She loved dingy and dirty, but if there was one thing she hated it was spiders and spiderwebs. She should have expected that though. It wasn't like there was a servant or maid to clear out the secret passages.

She began down the passage, her steps deliberate and careful, avoiding as many of the webs that strung across the halls as she could. Something told her she didn't want to encounter the spiders that spun those webs.

A crash sounded somewhere behind her and she turned quickly, hoping it was Ben, or one of her fellow VKs. She brushed right into another web and shrieked as she bumped further down the passage. If she made it to the end of the passage without completely freaking out, she promised she would never be scared of spiders again.

She fought her way through the thick spider web, burning through most of it with the green flame as something or someone grabbed her. She turned quickly, channeling the flame toward whoever it was, zombie subject or not. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Ben, illuminated in the green light of her flame.

He heaved a sigh of relief too. "You're going the wrong way," He told her, brushing a cobweb from her forehead with a small smile. "That leads out of the castle, or or did," He explained, offering her his hand. "Gaston and the mob made sure that wasn't an option," He said, leading her the opposite way, brushing away cobwebs with his other hand as they went.

"These tunnels were originally put in during the French Revolution," He explained, a few minutes later, their shadows elongated by the green flame in her free hand. The only sound other than his voice, their footsteps. Talking about history seemed to relax Ben, she realized, so she let him continue. "The royals feared being caught and beheaded so they used the tunnels to escape. My father even used them when my mother was first captured and he didn't want to frighten her," He admitted as the tunnel began to incline slightly. "I used to use them to hide from my father's boring meetings."

"How quickly your reunion ball turned into a zombie flick. Creepy tunnels and all," Mal answered sarcastically, her eyes catching a bit of blood trickling from his forehead. "What happened?" She asked.

She couldn't miss the blush that came to his cheeks, even in the dim light. "Can we say it's a battle wound?" He asked, "That someone clipped me as I tried to save you?"

She laughed, remembering the crash from earlier. "You hit it in the dark, didn't you?" She asked. "In a heroic effort to save me from the spiderwebs," She added with a small smile. "What a valiant wound!" She overexaggerated.

He laughed. "I couldn't let you be the only one injured," He explained, pushing against the wooden panel that they stopped in front of to have it give way to reveal the hallway close to his father's office and the library.

He closed the panel behind them and it disappeared into the wall, the secret safe again. Mal took a deep breath, the nagging pain subsiding nearly completely. Then he led her the few feet to his father's office, the office that would one day be his, she guessed, pushing it open with a gentle squeak of the hinges.

Inside, the office was furnished with warm mahogany and red leather, a large desk surrounded by shelves of trinkets and photos. There were about a thousand of Ben at various ages, some with Belle, some with their entire family, but mostly of just Ben.

Mal scanned them and then turned back to the real thing. "You know, I think your parents chronicled your entire childhood," She told him, glancing over one of a toddler sized Ben on a pony, then a slightly older Ben rolling around with Dude as a puppy. She realized the youngest photo she could find was what looked like two or three year old Ben holding a teddy bear. "Though I suppose you're lucky your dad didn't display your baby pictures," She added.

He looked away from the door, that he had been watching for any sign of movement. "I don't have any baby pictures," He explained, and she turned from a picture of a very pregnant Belle and a proud King Adam to look at him. "I was really sick as a baby, born premature, and my parents chose not to chronicle it," He explained, suddenly more closed off than before.

Mal moved from the desk and closer to him. "I don't have baby pictures either." She explained, "or any pictures of my childhood." She tried to pull his attention from the hawk like gaze he had on the door. "Most VKs don't. Though Evie might have a portrait painted. Her mom seems like the type."

Not even a laugh. The baby picture comment must have really gotten to him.

She went over to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly, then turned his attention to her. "I'm sorry," She said, "I shouldn't have been so nosy. You can take me to my room and we'll start again tomorrow."

He scoffed at that. "You think I'm leaving you alone with the entirety of the seven kingdoms under the influence of faerie lust?" He asked, "I'm keeping you safe."

"Down boy!" She laughed, squeezing his shoulder gently. "It will pass in a few hours," She reminded him.

"Until it does, my room is the safest option," He explained. "Shatterproof glass, pick proof locks, and a king to stand guard should keep you safe," He guessed, no trace of smile, and she realized he was completely serious.

It was the first time she had seen someone protective of a faerie. Then again, he already had her captured so he didn't have to be so focused on the chase did he? She knew how fast someone under the faerie curse could turn. And yet Ben was still himself.

"Lead the way," She told him after a few long seconds. If Ben did fall under the influence of faerie lust, it wasn't like she couldn't subdue him. She had done it before.

The journey down the hall, toward the stairs that led to the bedrooms, in the absolutely quiet castle was a bit frightening. Usually at any time of the day there was at least some sound, some sign of movement, though as they rushed down the hall toward his bedroom, it was completely silent.

Ben ushered Mal through the door and then shut it behind him, locking it with a loud click. It was only after that that he heaved a sigh of relief and gave her a small smile.

"Is it bad?" Mal asked, knowing that particular smile, the same one from their first date after the jelly donut incident.

He laughed and she couldn't help but laugh with him. "I'm not sure where your dress starts and the spiderwebs end," He told her, moving from where he leaned against the door, catching his breath. He pulled more thick dust filled web from his jacket around her. "But I suppose it could be worse," He added, "Though I wouldn't complain if you wanted to ditch it."

Mal laughed. "I believe the pick up line you were looking for is: You look amazing in that dress, but I think it would look better on my floor."

He laughed too. "Come on, Mal," he whined, "You have to give me more credit than a cheesy pick up line." He pulled her toward the washroom on the other side of the bed, the plush carpet making her sink deep with her slender heels, and pushed the door open to show her. "It would obviously look better on my bathroom floor," He added with a cheeky smile and she rolled her eyes, moving into the bathroom and shutting the door on him with a small smile.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Ben heard the shower shut off and he stood up from his desk, pulling his eyes from the dark night outside his window. So far it seemed like no one from the ballroom had followed them, and he heaved another sigh of relief. Even if they had, there was no way they could get through the door and get to Mal. She was safe, for now.

But it was only a matter of time before they tried.

"Ben?" Mal's voice came from the open bathroom door and Ben kept his eyes on the decorative design of the metal grate over the windowpane in front of him, trying not to think about how his girlfriend was practically naked a few feet away. He knew there had been at least a towel in there, so she wasn't completely naked. "Can I borrow some clothes?" She asked, her voice nervous, but definitely more Mal than before.

Why hadn't he thought of that before? Probably because he had been distracted by the idea of the entire court coming after her for her fae abilities, and the idea of her naked hadn't helped either.

"Of course," He answered, shaking from his stupor and moving toward his dresser, yanking a drawer open and picking a shirt and a pair of boxers with a slightly wicked smile. The idea of a girl in his clothes for the night making his mind race.

Then he remembered Phillip Dormant's comments to Mal.

 _Do you kneel before your king and beg him to use your mouth as he wishes?_

 _Do you whine and whine until he-_

"Ben?" Mal's voice came again, closer, after he had handed her the clothes and he reflexively turned to see her swimming in his old tourney jersey and a pair of plaid purple boxers, her skin once again the pale pink, her eyes back to the regular green with the gold flecks, the only thing that remained were the horns curling into her damp hair and the red raised iron burns on her skin. "Where in the world did you get purple plaid?" She asked.

He could feel the blush come to his cheeks, thinking about how awkward he had felt when he had received them.

"Remember the two weeks after the coronation where things were kind of awkward?" He asked, offering her his hand. When she took it, he pulled her away from the windows and toward the bed. She had to be tired after her journey out to the provinces before the reunion ball and then the ball itself.

He knew his anger and frustration always drained him.

She smiled slightly as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "You mean when we both agreed to take some time and think about our feelings after all that had happened?" She asked, catching his eyes with a slight smile, the looped horns making her look quite devilish. "Also known as the two weeks where Evie, Jay and Carlos were determined to shove us into every awkward situation together?" She continued.

"Yes," He answered, kneeling onto his knees before her, his hands outside her hips, resting on the bed gently. He laughed as he remembered all of the awkward forced situations the three VKs had forced them into.

The time that they had switched the signs to the locker rooms and forced Mal to shower in the boys locker room after a rough cheerleading practice as Ben had showered after the tourney scrimmage in the empty locker room.

The time Evie, with the help of Doug, had convinced Mal to go take pictures for a student who had missed the yearbook deadline, only it ended up being Ben posing for royal portraits and she couldn't get out of it.

Or the last, and final time when the VKs had sent off notes to each of them as the other person, telling them they were through, right before the Spring Dance, making the Spring Dance completely awkward for both of them until they talked it out and decided they both did want to be together and got the last slow dance of the night together.

He smiled up at her. "Jay and Carlos tried for days to convince me that I should strip down into nothing but those purple plaid and wait in your room for you," He laughed, "Jay was convinced that my abs would steer you the right way."

Mal rolled her eyes. "Typical Jay," She answered. "Evie tried to pull the same thing with me," She admitted a few seconds later, a small satisfied smile. "She sewed me this little blue-" she stopped and his imagination took over. The possibilities were endless.

He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry, the events of the night catching up with him and the exhaustion of worrying for her. The increased desire to kiss her as she lounged on his bed, his tourney jersey large on her, but also hugging her curves like it belonged there.

"At the risk of sounding like a complete cad," he started, "maybe when we can kiss and do other things, we can model them for each other?" Did it sound as terrible coming out of his mouth as it did in his head?

Mal laughed, leaning back further on the bed, her hair fanning out against his dark blue comforter, his jersey riding up against her stomach, revealing the purple plaid. "Nice try, Bennyboo!" She said, "but these are mine now," She gave him a slightly evil smile.

"Stealing from the king?" He asked, standing up in one fluid motion, and resting his knee against the mattress. "That's five to ten years, you know," He told her gently, leaning down toward her, resting his hand against the comforter near her head.

She scoffed, "Only if you report me." She answered, "And you wouldn't send me away for five to ten years, would you?" She asked, giving him a little pout.

He laughed, brushing her bangs out of her eyes, being careful of a particularly angry raised burn on her forehead. He wanted to kiss them and make them better, but he knew he shouldn't. "Five to ten years would be impossible," He explained, "The last weeks have been hell," He admitted, dropping his head into the mattress, savoring her closeness, even for the brief few minutes.

"Ben!" She groaned under him, "You're all sweaty and gross," She complained. "I just showered," She whined.

He rolled over onto his back. He did feel pretty gross after fighting off the hoard, the cobwebbed tunnels and all of the running. After a few seconds, he sat up slowly and turned back to her. "You are not allowed to leave that bed," He told her, pushing himself up lazily.

She leaned up on her elbows, the v neck jersey dipping lower. "Or what?" She asked, catching his eyes, her eyebrows raised. "You'll punish me?"

Ben took a deep breath. "Ten minutes," He told her calmly as he began to unbutton his dress shirt with deft hands. He had no problem stripping before her and she didn't seem to care either.

Ten minutes later, after a mostly cold shower, he returned only half dressed. After talking about Jay's theory about his abs, he was interested to try it out. He found Mal, rolled over onto her stomach, her ankles crossed and up in the air, skimming through one of the books from his bedside table, her finger, twirling one of her purple curls between her fingers, so enthralled she hadn't even heard him come in.

He cleared his throat and she turned her attention to him. "I was wondering where this volume of Practicalities in Magic and Lore disappeared to," She said. "I was afraid your mom had gotten rid of it for fear I would use it for evil or something," She laughed.

Though it wasn't a laughing matter. "I pulled it about a few weeks ago," He told her. "There's a section in there about magical oaths."

"I know," Mal answered, "And another about faeries and imps and their role in the formation of the seven kingdoms." He sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, shaking out his still dripping hair, leaning over to see the passage she had pointed to and she squirmed under him.

He already knew about that passage. It had told him absolutely nothing. "Anything jumping out at you?" He asked, she did know more about the fae than he ever would.

She shook her head slowly. "Just the usual Auradonian stance on anti-magic," She said, closing the book with a satisfying thump as he moved up toward the pillows and stretched out. "Auradon prizes academic scholarship over magic and sorcery," She quoted the book, then sighed "Which means they're scared of what they can't understand." She rolled over onto her back, and stared up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I'm even surprised you have electricity."

Ben laughed. "My dad has threatened to get rid of it," He admitted, "the general rule is avoid him when the wifi isn't working." She laughed. "All last year, half the calls I got from my father weren't inviting me to join him on summits or in meetings, but to help him fix settings on his phone."

She laughed and turned over onto her side to face him, her hand reaching up to his forehead, where he had banged it hard against one of the aged lanterns. From what he had seen, it was just a small gash, nothing too serious, but she reached for it gingerly, then pulled her hand back.

"The reunion ball wasn't what you expected, was it?" He asked, turning to face her and she shook her head slowly. "Next year I'll make it the best ever," He said, pulling her closer.

She stiffened against him. "If you still want me around next year," She answered, her eyes finding the looped gold thread in the decorative pillows.

"Mal," he spoke, softly again. He didn't want to scare her away, or make her any more anxious. "I won't be the one to end things with us," He admitted once she looked back to him. "I know things can get very intense with my duties to the kingdom but you have me as long as you want me," He explained, but there was so much more he wanted to tell her.

Though it was a lot for anyone to take in. Even Audrey had been a flight risk when she had found out a few years earlier. It was something that had scared a lot of people and had caused problems in the past. Mal would need to know eventually, but not that night.

Not yet.

"Next year then," Mal agreed and Ben did not miss the small smile that crossed her lips. "So the council of the seven kingdoms starts tomorrow?" She asked after a several long seconds and he nodded against her. "And my father will be there?" She asked, her eyebrow cocked in interest.

Ben nodded, thinking back to Phillip Dormant's words, if he hadn't seen her chromosome shift, he would have questioned it too. "He will be," He explained, "And so will you." It was as good a time to invite her. "I can introduce you if you like," He suggested, though he knew her father would probably know her nearly instantly, as Queen Leah had on Family Day.

"Ok," she agreed with a yawn as she snuggled into him and the pillows. "I'll be there," She agreed sleepily, her head sinking into the dozens of decorative pillows. He knew she was about to fall asleep any second.

He pulled the corner of the comforter over her, wrapping her in a cocoon of blankets, and she snuggled down further, her face soft in relaxation, clinging to him as he turned off the bedside lamp. She was definitely going to fall asleep, but that was what he expected.

"Ben?" She asked sleepily, minutes after he was sure she had been out, as he sat thinking in the darkness. He hummed a short response back to her. "When we break this promise against us, I want to kiss you everywhere."

He smiled, not sure exactly how awake she was, or just what she meant by "everywhere", but he wasn't about to complain. "Summer Solstice," He answered back with a whisper, his nose and lips in her hair that smelled like his shampoo. Something he could definitely get used to.

Sleeping next to her every night was something he could definitely get used to.

* * *

 _The net had sprung, scooping Mal up into the air, her shrieks loud enough to wake the dead, and making his skin crawl. Though something is wrong. There is no sign of Jay, Evie or Carlos._

 _He was alone against the masses, Mal's screams threatening to drive him insane._

 _But then, a stroke of luck. The lever to lower Mal not too far away on the wall. He pulled it and released her from the net, her screaming ceased and the zombie hoard disappeared, leaving just him and Mal._

 _He rushed to her, scooping her up in his arms, keeping her close, relieved that nothing bad has happened._

" _Kiss me," she whispered in his ear, her breathy whisper tickling the hairs on the back of his neck._

 _He didn't resist as she brought her face closer to his, their noses touching, their lips mere inches apart. "Kiss me," she whispered again and he moved his hands to her neck and pulled her even closer, his lips crashing against hers with an immediate satisfaction, a relief that she's safe._

 _A hunger for more._

 _He started to feel an electric shock crawl up his spine, a warmth, a fury that he had never experienced before. Then Mal started fighting against him, like she was frightened of him._

 _She broke away from his hold on her arms and fell backwards as he approached her. He took a few stumbling steps forward, the heat and the electricity in his bones only increasing. She let out a blood curdling scream and he looked down to see hairy claws where his feet once were._

" _You're a beast!" She shouted in fear and shock. "How could I ever love you?" Then she repeated it over and over again as the ballroom floor gave way beneath him and he began to descend into darkness._

Ben jumped up in fear, the dark night chill against his sweat drenched skin. The nightmare, a new variation on one he had had for years, though Mal was a new addition and one he didn't like at all.

He turned to see Mal still next to him, wrapped up tightly in the blankets, the only thing sticking out was the top of her head and just a bit of her forehead. The dragon had hoarded his blankets and he couldn't help but smile as she cuddled them closer to her.

Her horns were gone, the only evidence of the night's events, the raised burn on her forehead. He couldn't help but reach forward and brush his hand gently against her violet locks, tousled by sleep. She was there and real and he heaved a sigh of relief.

It had just been a nightmare, he told himself that several times as he watched her sleep and squirm slightly against the blanket cocoon with every breath. It was just a nightmare.

Yet the last dream he had had about her had come true. He had ended up meeting her, and dating her, and enjoying his time with her.

He knew what was to come if she didn't love him. If things didn't work out, but his heart was telling him things would work out.

"Sometimes I think you're the only one that can save me from me," He said into her hair, barely even a whisper as his lips ghosted against her hair.

In sleep, she snuggled closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around her cocoon, resting his chin against her hair, thinking about how to break the promises against them.

That was how he fell asleep again.


	24. Chapter 24

"You ditched me again," Ben's voice came in a low whisper from behind her as she started up the stairs to the second story of the library. She smiled as she continued up the stairs. "I'm starting to think you don't want me to wake up to you in my bed."

She tried not to laugh at that. "What can I say?" She answered, "I'm an early riser, and you're a heavy sleeper." She didn't have to look behind her to know that Ben was following her through the stacks. "Besides, dragon breath is killer," She added as she stopped in front of the magical history section.

"I could handle it," He told her, and she didn't have to tear her eyes away from the gold and silver inked titles to know he was watching her, waiting for her to look to him.

"Don't you have a council of the seven kingdoms to get ready for?" She asked, pulling a title from the shelf and then another.

"So do you," He told her, and she turned to see him offering her his hand. Then with his other hand, he pulled another book and added it to her stack.

 _The Once and Future King_

She turned to look at him. "You have a chronicle of your life already?" She asked him, though she knew it wasn't about him. "I was thinking about your offer to go with you and I think I'll skip it," She admitted, "It sounds like a complete bore."

Ben didn't laugh at all. "I think you're scared," He told her, and to be honest, she was. Family Day had been cringe worthy and she did not want a repeat of it with the council of the seven kingdoms and all of the delegates there to see her shame. "I think you would rather keep your father a mystery and not be disappointed at his frail humanness." He was right, but she wasn't about to let him know that.

"I'm afraid I would fall asleep before we got to anything interesting," She answered. "Introducing Mr. and Mrs. So and So from Whocaresville," She said in a pompous voice with an over exaggerated bow, hoping to make him laugh.

He didn't laugh, not even a crack of a smile. "Please come," He said, "I want you there to remind me of what's important." She looked to him, remembering what he had said about the council before. "And you don't have to meet your dad today. He'll be here for the whole two weeks."

Mal sighed and took his hand. "Fine," She answered, "but you better make sure I don't fall asleep due to boredom," She said.

"I'll make sure you stay awake," He told her, his smile wicked and she wasn't sure how comfortable she felt with his wicked smile. "Meet me in front of the conference room in twenty minutes," He told her before he kissed her hand and darted off.

Mal watched him go with a smile, even if the council was boring, it was time with Ben.

Something she had missed over the past few weeks.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" His father growled, icing a rather large goose egg with a frozen lamb chop. "We have no idea what happened to any of us last night and having her in the council, hearing all of the decisions and parroting them back to her mother is definitely asking for trouble." His father looked to his mother, a black eye hid expertly with makeup, but still visible due to the swelling. "Belle, back me up here." He pleaded.

"Ben," his mother turned to look at him, the best she could, "After last night, we don't know what she's capable of." Everyone already knew who her mother was and what she had been capable of before becoming a lizard. "A decision the council makes could set her off and cause even more destruction."

Ben could feel his fists balling up. He knew it was a low move, but he decided to do it anyway. "She handled you keeping us apart pretty well," He said. "It's not one thing that's going to set her off. Though offering to kick her out so Audrey could be queen to please Phillip Dormant was my tipping point."

If he had to, he would bring Mal without their permission. He was king after all. He didn't even know why he was asking his parents, but it had come up as he ran into them in the kitchen.

At first, their wounds had made him jump, then he remembered how violent they had been, and how necessary it must have been for Evie, Jay and Carlos to use such force. He had yet to see anyone else, but he figured they would be various shades of black and blue too.

"She deserves to be there," Ben continued, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. "She's a citizen of Auradon and the seven kingdoms too."

His father grumbled. "Alright fine," He spoke. "If you're just going to bring her anyway," He grumbled. "But anything that happens is your fault. Your mother and I tried to warn you," He said, standing up and turning toward the cabinets. "Where the hell is Mrs. Potts with that aspirin?" He growled.

Ben knew better than to stick around until his father changed his mind.

* * *

It had to be a record for the shortest amount of time spent in the room with the council. She and Ben had entered, some of the elder members of the council had objected and Ben had led Mal back out into the hallway.

"Please stay here," Ben practically begged, his hand still wrapped around hers. "I'll take care of it," He said and somehow she knew he could. Even if the older members of the council were stuck in their ways.

"Ok," She agreed letting go of his hand. "Your council awaits, my king," She said sarcastically, giving him a short bow. She was starting to get annoyed at being shut out of everything.

She had chosen good, for good.

She had passed remedial goodness with 100% on the final.

What more did they want? A bloodoath?

He gave her a small smile and then went back into the conference room, the door shutting gently behind him. Then Mal waited.

She stood for a few long seconds, then decided to sit against the wall and wait, rather than stand awkwardly. She twirled her wrists, mimicking the hand motions for marionettes that Dr. Facilier had taught them on the isle on one of their less evil days.

The wait dragged on, from a few minutes to several and she moved to thinking about spells and their ingredients. More specifically a spell for a death like sleep. Something like Evie's mom had put on Snow, or what her mother had used on Aurora.

Sometimes the oldest spells are the best.

Henbane, belladonna, and just a pinch of foxglove for nightmares and endless regrets. She wondered if that was what Evie had used in her lipgloss. Mal had yet to have cause to use it, but she did wonder.

"I am king, and I say she is allowed!" Ben's raised voice echoed through the wall, "She saved the entire kingdom from her own mother, is that not enough for you to prove that she is good?"

So Ben had had to raise his voice to be heard, the juvenile king, his actions most likely confused with those of a lovesick child. Her mother had repeated that enough and Mal was starting to wonder if that was true. He was lovesick, but there had to be more to his actions than just that. What good could she do in a council, besides be his arm candy?

"I am not just some lovesick child!" Ben answered back, "She is who I choose to bring as my guest, if nothing else, and I expect you to honor that."

Then there was silence. And someone was staring at her.

"Is that your real hair?" A small voice came from the opposite side of the conference room doors.

Mal turned to see a little girl, about five or six, standing next to her, watching her with intense interest, her dark eyes captivated by the sight of her "Yes it is," She answered with a small smile. The child stared with excitement. "Do you like purple?" She asked the little girl, "because if not, I know people with blue-" she morphed her hair into Evie's dark blue and the girl clapped in excitement and surprise, "black and white-" she morphed it into Cruella's black and white part, and the girl gasped, "Or even bright red hair." she morphed it again into the bright red orange of Ariel's.

"Do pink!" The little girl exclaimed clapping her hands together in delight. "Do pink!" She repeated, her excitement shaking through her entire body.

Mal smiled. Pink was so not her color, but the little girl seemed so excited. "Ok," she agreed with a smile, "but that's the last one."

She morphed her hair into a bright pink a line bob and the little girl smiled the biggest smile Mal had seen on a child that young. "Will you come play tea party with me?" The little girl asked her, "I left Mr. Stuffington in my room and his favorite color is pink too."

Mal smiled at the little girl. She had no idea who Mr. Stuffington was, but she knew she had to wait for Ben. She had agreed to wait, and she had never played tea party before. "I can't today," She said, and she watched the little girl's face fall. That used to bring her such satisfaction on the isle, but at that moment it made her sad. "But I'll tell you what," she continued, and the little girl seemed to perk up slightly, "The next time I have some free time, we can play tea party and I'll show Mr. Stuffington the pink hair."

And just like that, the little girl was a little ball of excitement again. "My room is the one with the pink flowers on the door," She said, "But you can't come too late, ok? My bedtime is at 8," She told her, then she leaned down and whispered in her ear, "The password is lemon drop. Mr. Fluffytail is the guard."

Mal nodded along, still confused.

After that, several things happened.

A voice called from the opposite end of the hallway "Charlotte Lily!" Mal looked up to see Chip, apparently calling the little girl.

The door to the conference room opened and Fairy Godmother stood before her, sizing her up it seemed.

"Maleficent Bertha Blackheart," Fairy Godmother spoke, her voice authoritative and distant. Not at all like at Auradon Prep. "You have been summoned before a jury of your peers to determine your morality. Prepare yourself."

Somehow, that didn't sound like anything fun. Though it didn't surprise her after what had been published in the morning paper- a gloriously bad picture of her, full faerie, complete with menacing face, practically ripping Phillip Dormant's arm off. Total bad press and totally badass, and evil looking. She had chosen good, and had been trying, but that picture made her look like her mother in the worst ways.

Mal nodded. "I'm ready now," She said as she came to her feet, though she had no idea what to expect. The jury of her peers was unexpected. "And it's just Mal," She answered, knowing what her full name would mean to them and everyone else.


	25. Chapter 25

Fairy Godmother had led her into what she could only describe as a courtroom. A large podium at the far end, a jury box, and a circle surrounded by metal bars, where she guessed she would be standing, and basically put on display completed the creepy, courtroom and jailhouse vibe. She led her to the half cage and stood her in the center, then closed it behind her.

To one side of her sat the Blue Fairy, the three goodie goodies, Flora, Fauna, Merriweather, Tinkerbell and the blue Genie, all ready to judge her it seemed. Her fellow magic users, or at least at one point in their histories. Fairy Godmother sat at the large podium, where the judge would sit in a courtroom and it seemed the judge and jury were complete.

Then her fellow students from Auradon prep entered and took the remaining seats with the magic users. Audrey, Lonnie and Jane, Chad, Doug and Ben sat in the front six seats.

It was a witch trial by the looks of things. No one would make eye contact with her, and not just due to their injuries. Even Ben wouldn't look at her. He was probably under strict orders not to even look in her direction. Full faerie always tended to make people overzealous though. She should have known to expect a witch hunt, especially with that photo and the news story.

She stood taller in the small enclosed space. If she was going to go down, she would do it with her head held high.

Fairy Godmother was the only one who would look right at her. "Maleficent "Mal" Bertha Blackheart," She spoke in her authoritative, no nonsense business voice. "You have been summoned to determine your morality in the kingdom of Auradon and the seven kingdoms. I will ask several questions and then your peers will ask theirs."

Mal nodded. "Ask me anything you wish," She said, knowing exactly what Fairy Godmother and the others were looking for. Her anger, any shift in emotions to scare them into thinking she was still rotten to the core. She wasn't about to let them see her go full faerie again.

"Is your name Maleficent Bertha Blackheart?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"Yes," Mal answered, "And no," she continued. "My mother told me that I would not receive my full name until I completed ten terrible deeds, or until I pleased her enough. My name is just Mal," she explained.

"What evil deeds did you do to be called Mal?" Fairy Godmother asked. Mal figured she would.

"I received all three letters of my name by the time I was six," She said. "The first letter of my name when I was born and I bit my mother, but she would only call me Creature or Beasty," Mal explained. "I earned the A when I was four. I pushed another child down and stole her toy." She knew Ben already knew part of that story. "I made her cry and her mother yell at her, which my mother deemed evil enough for my age," She sighed. "I earned the L at six, when I shoved Evie, the Evil Queen's daughter off of a small cliff and called the birds and woodland creatures to bloody her up, then got her exiled because she didn't invite me to her birthday party," She revealed, knowing it didn't paint the best picture of her.

Fairy Godmother tented her hands together and leaned over her elbows. "When you came to Auradon, what were your plans?" She asked, even though everyone already knew that answer.

"I planned to steal the wand, your wand, to take back to my mother on the Isle of the Lost," Mal answered truthfully. "She wanted to take over all of Auradon and plot her revenge, and I wanted to be by her side and earn more of my name," She admitted.

"Were you successful?" Fairy Godmother asked and Mal just stared. "Were you successful in stealing the wand?"

Mal but her tongue back, swallowing down the sarcastic answer. "I was not," She answered, "The wand is still in your possession and my mother is now a gecko," She explained.

"Yet you stayed in Auradon," Fairy Godmother said, "Why did you decide to stay?"

Mal resisted looking to Ben. "I couldn't go back to the Isle after my successes here," She explained. "Though I saved the kingdom from my mother, my actions on the Isle of the Lost would be seen as too good." She was trying not to brag. "By choosing good, I exiled myself from the Isle." Of course, in that instance she meant Ben, but no one else needed to know that.

"It was a requirement for you to take a class called Remedial Goodness, was it not?" Fairy Godmother asked. "Would you please tell your peers what you received on the final and your grade in the class overall?"

Mal fought back a smile. "I received 100% on the final," She said, "And 102% in the class with extra credit from the coronation," She explained.

"Now I shall turn it over to your peers," Fairy Godmother explained. "Blue Fairy, we start with you."

The Blue Fairy stood, and brushed her thick blonde hair from her eyes, looking at her notes. "You explained that your mother is now a gecko," she spoke, her voice light and airy, "As a magic user, would you ever return your mother to her former glory and take over Auradon?"

"No," Mal answered, "While I do want my mother to no longer be a small reptile, I would not use my magic to assist her," She explained. "She needs to learn the lesson herself and it's not something I am about to allow her to get out of."

The blue fairy sat down, then made several notes. The three fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather all stood up at once. Mal had never seen them in person, but she knew enough from her mother to know who was who.

"We all know your mother's abilities," the first fairy, Flora, spoke.

"And we saw your feat at the coronation," Fauna continued.

"What we want to know is how you think you will handle the ban on magic and sorcery," Merriweather explained, her arms crossed almost in disgust. There was obviously no love lost there.

Mal thought about it. "I lived without magic for nearly seventeen years of my life," She explained, "I've only been in Auradon for three months." Though they already knew that. "Magic is still new to me, but so far, I've found that the magic that makes people happy I'm best at." Then she realized she hadn't quite answered the question. "I don't need magic to survive, or perform daily tasks. Most of the time it gets me into more trouble than out of it," She explained, sneaking a brief look to Ben. "I can handle limited magic, or even no magic at all," She continued.

The three fairies all sat at once, scribbling down their own notes. Then Tinkerbell flew forward and stopped right in front of her face. She didn't speak with her voice, but Mal could interpret it well enough.

 _How do you plan to handle your anger and prevent the evil faerie from returning?_

"I rarely get as angry as last night," Mal explained. "I am not trying to throw around blame, but I warned him and he persisted," She explained. "In the future, as I have in the past, I plan to keep a level head, by working through my emotions rather than bottling them up."

That answer seemed to appease the tiny fairy and she returned to the space with the others.

The blue genie stood next. "Your friends, the others from the isle, chose good along with you at the coronation," He spoke, and he seemed less majestic than Jafar had often described. "How would you react if one of them chose to return to their evil ways, and how would you convince them otherwise?" He asked.

Mal thought of each of her fellow VKs. Carlos, Jay and Evie and how unlikely it was that they would return to their evil ways. Still, she let the few scenarios play out in her head. "I would honestly be disappointed," She explained. "Carlos, Evie and Jay have grown so much since we came to Auradon Prep and I would do whatever I could to let them know that they had other options than to return to their previous ways."

"Would you join them?" Fairy Godmother asked as an addition.

Mal thought about it. "Only for a good reason," Mal answered. "If we had to use our evil ways to combat a greater evil," She explained, her mother coming to mind. The entire kiss situation coming to mind.

Mal shifted uncomfortably, the iron of the half cage around her starting to make her bones ache. Those in the room obviously knew her weakness, but she refused to show it, or complain.

"Very well," Fairy Godmother spoke, then she turned to Mal's classmates. "Doug, if you please."

Doug stood and straightened his glasses over his broken nose with a wince, looking down at his notes the best he could. "You stated that you gained the L in your name by attacking Evie and getting both her and her mother banished." Of course he would bring that up, he and Evie were… something. "How did the two of you end up becoming friends?"

Mal fought back a cringe, the story was pretty bad until it got better. "It started when Evie's mother decided that ten years of exile was enough and Evie showed up at Dragon Hall," She started. "Then when the first hole in the barrier broke, I planned to make her touch the dragon's eye in my mother's staff, and sleep for a thousand years. I hoped it would work as my project of evilness and help me gain the next letter of my name." It wasn't getting any better. "Evie and I journeyed with Carlos and Jay to my mother's old fortress, but when it came time for her to touch it, I grabbed it instead." She thought about what a failure it had all been at that time. "I saved her I guess and we became closer."

Doug, and everyone else seemed to take notes.

Lonnie stood, maneuvering her notes around the sling around her arm. "During our time at Auradon Prep, you did a lot of midnight baking," She started. "Everyone knows spells and potions are best hid in sweet treats. What were you baking, and why?"

Mal figured it would come up eventually. "The first time I was baking double chocolate chip cookies." The chocolate chips had been Lonnie's idea. "With a love spell," She added, then she swallowed hard, "for the then crown prince."

The surprise of everyone in the room was tangible and Mal figured she was toast. No one had known about the love spell besides her fellow VKs and Ben. Ben had wanted to keep it that way. Still, she continued.

"The second time, was a double chocolate brownie," she continued louder, over their noises of shock. "To undo the love spell that I had cast over the then crown prince," She explained.

"Please explain why you felt the need to undo the spell," Fairy Godmother requested, after calling the rest of the room to order. "And the status of the king now."

"I thought we were going to get the wand and escape back to the isle, exacting our revenge," Mal explained, not looking in Ben's direction at all. "To have him follow me around like a love sick puppy, just seemed extra cruel." She looked down at his signet ring, still on her forefinger, not quite able to look to him yet. "As of this moment, he is not under any spell of mine," She explained.

Everyone seemed to take notes again, scribbling to the best of their abilities with their various injuries.

Jane stood next, her hair parted differently, a little longer, really bringing out the shape of her face and the large gash across one cheek, red and raised. "You tried to turn me against my mother to gain her wand," She spoke, her timid voice shaking slightly, "You bibbity boppity booed me into thinking that I wasn't good enough." She had been kind of hard on Jane, she realized. "Then you reversed the spell. Who else have you spelled into doing your bidding?" She asked.

"Ben was the only one I spelled to do my bidding," She said. "You and Lonnie and a few other girls with the hair spells," Mal explained, "but that's it." Then she remembered the little girl in the hallway and her own hair transformations. "There was a little girl in the hallway, but that was simple entertainment for her."

"Would you clarify, please?" Fairy Godmother stepped in. "What exactly did you do to the little girl in the hall?"

Mal took another deep breath, the iron surrounding her really starting to make her uncomfortable and fidgety. The sooner she could leave, the better. "I changed my hair color for her," she explained, willing her hair to augment as she spoke. "From blue, to black and white, to red." She paused, giving them the full effect. "Then she asked me for pink." She could hear their amazement and shock at her transformations. "And she asked me to play tea party, but I had to decline." She willed her hair back to her purple, "though I told her I would return when I had time," She added.

More note taking, then Chad hopped up, as best he could with his wrapped head, the bandages just starting to darken with blood. Her magic as the rogue faerie most likely the cause. "You can shapeshift at will?" He asked, and she nodded, "Then how do we know you're the real Mal and not an imitation ready to take over the kingdom at the first opportune moment?"

Some big words in there for Chad, but Mal kept her face even, even through the persistent ache of the iron. "I can shapeshift at will," Mal agreed, "But it's taxing," She explained. "If I were someone else, or someone else were me, they would start to break, morph back into themselves," She explained, "Little things at first, eye color a shade off, or freckles in just the wrong places." She knew it was about time that they all knew her mark, even if it wouldn't necessarily help things.

She tore down her sleeve to reveal her Dragon mark, and inciting more gasps. "I bear my mother's mark and that cannot be replicated for long with shapeshifting," She explained. "It resists and burns the wearer if it doesn't belong on their skin. You all will know quickly if I am an imitation. The true mark cannot be harmed or removed." She pulled the small knife from under her skirt, ignoring the gasps of fear and shock and sliced through the mark, only to hear the familiar whine of metal against metal. It could not be harmed.

Audrey stood before Chad even sat down, wobbling, trying to balance on a broken leg with heels and a broken wrist, along with several other small injuries. Somehow she had taken the brunt of it and Mal fought back a cringe. She wasn't going to be very happy.

"You used a love spell to steal my boyfriend," she nearly shouted, "What's to stop you from spelling Ben again and taking the crown and the kingdom for yourself?" She asked. Mal realized it was a valid question. Audrey had a right to be concerned. "Do you think he would ever take you as his queen anyway?" She blurted out intentionally, quite bitter it seemed.

Mal took several seconds to figure out how to answer that, and how much she should reveal about their predicament. "I did steal your boyfriend, and I apologize," She said, looking right at Audrey. "I can't even begin to understand how painful that must have been for you." She could start to feel it a little after the last few weeks she and Ben had had, but she kept that to herself.

Then she turned back to Fairy Godmother. "Honestly, if I wanted the kingdom, I could take it with little trouble," She explained, truthfully. She was rapidly sinking and they were probably going to kick her out anyway. Might as well be completely honest. "But I would rather not," She said, "It's Ben's kingdom and I'm going to do my best to keep it that way."

Audrey crossed her arms in frustration and winced as she knocked her cast roughly. Then she plopped down in her seat.

"Your majesty," Fairy Godmother spoke with reverence turning to Ben, "You have the floor."


	26. Chapter 26

Ben stood and left the area with the rest of the jury and stopped just short of where she stood, standing just under Fairy Godmother. "Besides last night, what's the worst thing you've done since you've been at the summer castle?" He asked and he hoped no one else could tell he was fighting back a smile.

"I stole the King's horse," She explained, and he could see her fidgeting against the iron bars, the burns on her arms darkening, growing redder just by the mere closeness of the iron. "Your horse," She clarified, "Several times."

He knew he had to get her out of there as soon as possible. "And what were you doing with my horse when you stole him?" He asked. "Where did you take him and what did you do?"

 _Come on Mal, work with me here._

Mal caught his eye and he tried not to get too smiley. "I took your horse and stolen goods from the kitchens to the poorer provinces," She explained.

Ben was actually having a little fun coming to her defense. He began pacing, like he had seen several lawyers do in the movies. "So you're saying you stole food from the kitchens to take to the poor and hungry of the provinces?" He asked, "With no financial gain or claim to fame for yourself?" He went on, turning back to face her for her answer.

"Yes," she answered.

"Then why, Miss Blackheart," he made a mental note to change her last name as soon as he could, once everything else was taken care of. "Did you do it?"

"It seemed like a waste," Mal explained. "To see all that food being chucked away to rot." He hoped she would elaborate more on the good deed aspect of it. "I know it all ends up on the isle, but I figured there are hungry people closer that could use it more."

"So by stealing the horse and food that was already going to be thrown out, you did a good deed for the poor people of the provinces," He voiced. Then an idea struck him, and he moved closer to her, leaning on the iron bars that surrounded her. "Mal," he said, just a bit quieter due to their closeness. "Would you kiss me right now, in front of all of these people?" He asked, though he already knew her answer.

"No," She answered and he couldn't help but smile at the blush that came to her cheeks.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my girlfriend won't kiss me," He said, turning away from her and toward the others. A small wave of laughter from a few people floated through the room. "I wouldn't say I'm unattractive, or that I stink, so Mal," he turned back toward her, "Why won't you kiss me?"

He could see her trying not to scowl at him. "Because first kisses hold special power and you promised me your kingdom for a kiss while under the influence of a love spell," She explained, watching him carefully.

"Would it work the same if I offered you the crown?" Ben asked, "If I promised you the crown I mean," He added, and he watched her face morph into fear.

"With all these magical beings and fairies in the room, it would definitely be a binding promise," She explained. "But I don't-"

"Promise me you won't lie for the next ten minutes," He cut her off before she could get any further. He knew it was a bit low, but he knew exactly what everyone else was looking for in their hunt for her true morality. "Trust me," he mouthed to her, hoping that she would be the only one to see it.

"I promise that I won't lie to you for the next ten minutes," Mal answered, her eyes catching his, the fear evident.

"Are you good?" He asked her, watching her carefully.

"Yes," Mal answered, the words flying from her mouth as if she couldn't keep them in if she tried.

"Would you ever do anything to willingly harm me or the crown?" He asked.

"No," Mal answered, unable to contain the words for too long.

"You once told me something about the only way you would ever take the crown," Ben spoke and he could see that Mal has screwed her eyes shut in embarrassment. "What was it that you told me?" He asked.

Mal resisted, trying to keep her mouth shut, her hands clamped over her mouth, the words fighting to be released. Eventually she lurched forward, her hands flying forward and gripping the iron around her hard.

"I told you the only way I would ever take the crown is if we shared the rule," She practically shouted, then came to her senses and pulled her hands from the iron around her, balling them into fists, but he didn't miss her twinge of pain.

He closed the distance between them, standing barely a foot from her. He pulled the crown from his head and pushed it toward her, watching her eyes grow wide with fear. "I'm handing over the rule of Auradon to you," he spoke, hearing everyone in the room gasp. "Will you take it?"

"No," She answered, shaking her head, her eyes screwed tight in fear. "The kingdom belongs to you."

That was good enough for him. He put the crown back on his head and took her hand. Her eyes popped open and he led her from the enclosure.

No one else seemed to want to argue with his decision.

"One last question," Fairy Godmother spoke and both Ben and Mal turned toward her. "Will you have that tea party with the little girl?"

Ben looked from Fairy Godmother to Mal. "Yes," Mal answered, "I have to show Mr. Stuffington his favorite color," She spoke truthfully.

"Very well," Fairy Godmother answered with a smile. "The votes if you please, Ladies and Gentleman," She continued, turning to the eleven members in the jury box. "All those who believe Mal to be good?"

Ben turned toward the other eleven, his hand raised high. All of the magic users raised their hands, and the only student still with her hand down was Audrey.

"Audrey," Fairy Godmother turned toward the Dormant's daughter. "Please explain your decision."

Audrey kept her arms crossed tightly against her chest. "She's the daughter of Maleficent, the mistress of evil!" She explained, "There's no way she can be good. Especially after all that she did last night!" She didn't even look at Mal, or Ben. "She practically tore my father's arm off!" She pushed, "What else could she do to Ben?" She asked.

"Ben?" Fairy Godmother turned back to him, and Mal, who he felt shaking beside him. "The ultimate decision comes down to you, our King," She explained.

"Mal is good," He spoke, "I trust her with my life," He declared, then he turned and pulled her from the room and the iron, knowing its effects on her.

As soon as they were out in the hallway, he could feel Mal heave a sigh of relief. "Stay here," He told her gently, releasing her hand from his and returning to the room with the others. "The council of the seven kingdoms with begin tomorrow," He spoke standing tall, he knew Mal was weaker than she had let on, and by his count he still had three minutes of complete truth from Mal. He wasn't about to let that go to waste.

He found her out in the hall, where he had left her, crumpled on the floor in weakness, her skin more pale than usual. He knew the others would exit the doors in the other side of the courtroom, so they were basically alone.

He leaned down and offered her his hand. "What can I do, Mal?" He asked gently, as she took it with reduced grip and tried to stand. "Don't try to stand up," He told her, leading her back down to the floor. She was weak, like he had been before after working out too much, or rough tourney games, especially when he didn't eat.

"I'm fine," She answered, trying to stand again, but he held her down gently. "It's just too much magic in a short period of time," She explained.

"And the iron," He guessed, worried about her. He had never seen her so weak, so exhausted. "How about lunch and a nap?" He suggested, "Or is there something else that you do after so much magic?" He asked.

"I could do lunch," She answered, "but what about the council?" She asked, and she sounded disappointed almost.

"Tomorrow," He explained. "You need your rest after your travels to the provinces, the reunion ball, and the morality case." She watched him carefully. "I'm thinking we have lunch delivered to my bedroom and we watch movies all afternoon."

She smiled. "That sounds good," she agreed, "Though I have to be somewhere before eight tonight," She explained as he helped her to her feet slowly.

Ben smiled. "Is the password still Lemon Drop?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist and they started moving down the hall. "She's been trying to get me to tea party since we got here, but I've been too busy. I guess Mr. Stuffington will have to move over," Mal laughed weakly. "But first you need food and rest."

"I would kill for some strawberry pancakes," Mal answered.

Ben laughed. "People who were just were declared good probably shouldn't say they would kill for food," He said, they turned toward the kitchen "but I can definitely make pancakes happen."

* * *

She could feel a warmth spread across her back and her shoulders with a perfect pressure between pain and pleasure. It started out as light, timid touches, then the pressure built until it hit the perfect balance. She opened her eyes to see the familiar wallpaper panels of Ben's room, the sunlight casting long shadows across the blue and gold wallpaper.

"Glad to know I can wake you without dodging fists," Ben told her, moving his hand in a figure eight pattern against her spine. She sat up and looked around, not quite remembering falling asleep, or even making it back to his room. "You passed out halfway through Princess Bride," he explained, "Though you were pretty much a zombie after the morality trial," He continued with a gentle smile, sitting up to join her.

She had been dreaming, though she wasn't sure where reality had ended and her dreams had begun, or vice versa. Had she really faced all of the magic users and her closest peers in a morality trial?

Had she really been deemed good?

"I was going to let you keep sleeping," Ben admitted, "But I didn't want you to miss the tea party."

That part she did remember, the little girl and the tea party she had agreed to attend. She smoothed her hair down, or tried, knowing it would be quite tangled with the dreams she had been having.

"What time is it?" She asked, brushing her fingers through her bangs. "How long was I out?" She asked.

"It's just after four," Ben explained with a small smile as he moved closer to her. "And you passed out at around 11," He told her, pulling a feather from her hair.

"And you just watched me sleep?" Mal asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Not the whole time," Ben answered, but she didn't miss the blush that rose to his cheeks. "I had some kingly duties to attend to, and a tea party to set up." She knew that wasn't exactly the whole truth. "So what were you having nightmares about?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

She stared at him. "Who said I was having nightmares?" She asked. She was, but she wasn't about to tell him that. He had enough to deal with already, and his own nightmares from what she had seen.

Ben fought back a laugh. "I can tell when you're having a nightmare because you get this cute little crease right here." He placed his index finger gently against her forehead, right between her eyebrows. "And your fists ball up against the blankets, or my shirt," He explained.

"Just how long were you watching me?" She asked. "Or do you know from personal experience?" She continued. "What does the king of Auradon dream about?"

"Summer Solstice," he admitted smoothly, though she could see that it wasn't exactly the truth, "and kissing you," He continued, brushing his thumb across her cheek gently. "When you have good dreams you get these little dimples right here" He brushed across her cheek again, then he stood. "Ready for a tea party, my faerie princess?" He asked with a slight bow, extending his hand to her.

She took a deep breath. "I would be careful throwing around the F word," She told him, "and the P word," She continued after a few seconds of thought, taking his hand and standing.

He laughed. "I can think of several F words that I shouldn't be throwing around," He said. "Faerie is not the worst by a long shot." She could feel her face starting to become warm. "And as far as Princess goes, I only speak the truth," He reminded her.

"I've never been to a Princess luncheon, or dress fitting, or even a tea party," She admitted, reminding him of her past, even though she had no doubts he didn't easily forget.

Ben smiled and gripped her hand as he led her from the room. "The trick with kids," he told her as they traveled down the hall and toward the stairs, "is to believe them." She looked to him for more explanation. "If they say their stuffed animal likes to whisper secrets, don't tell them they're wrong," He explained as they traveled toward the kitchen and the servant quarters.

They stopped at a door with pink foam flowers stuck to the door along with several stickers. Ben gave her a reassuring smile and then knocked three times.

"What's the password?" The same little girl's voice came from behind the door, deeper, like she was trying to be someone else. Mr. Fluffytail, perhaps.

"Lemon drop," Ben spoke clearly through the door, keeping Mal's hand in his.

The door opened quickly to reveal the little girl from before, holding a worn fox stuffed animal around the door handle, her face alight with surprise and excitement. "Ben!" She exclaimed jumping up and down in excitement before she ran toward him, nearly begging to be picked up.

Mal remembered those days, when she was that young and wanted her mother to pick her up in a moment of weakness after she had been roughed up by some older kids. Her mother had chastised her for not fighting back. Ben picked up the little girl with a big gesture and swung her around before resting her on his hip. Mal wasn't sure whose smile was bigger. She definitely wasn't on the island anymore.

"Mal," he said, turning back to her. "This is Charlie, Chip's daughter," He explained. "Charlie, this is my girlfriend, Mal."

"Hi Mal!" Charlie exclaimed, brushing the straw colored hair out of her eyes, "Mr. Stuffington and Princess Lollipop are making the tea now."

Mal could feel Ben's eyes on her. "I hope they make the tea really hot," Mal answered with a little smile, "and I hope there's enough for all of us." It felt fake, and forced, but Ben gave her a reassuring smile at least.

"I'll go check!" Charlie said, wiggling from Ben's arms. He set her back down "Stay here and then we'll do the introductions." Then she ran back into the room and shut the door, leaving Ben and Mal alone in the hallway again.

"She's really into princesses," Ben warned her, "Last Christmas break she would only refer to me as Princess Puppy." Mal laughed at that. "I can't wait to hear what she comes up with for you," He admitted.

"Aww, Bennyboo." Mal answered, pinching his cheek, "You can't come up with your own nickname?" She teased.

He smiled. "You are definitely the more creative one in this relationship," He told her. "Though I'm quite surprised 'Bennyboo' has stayed around so long."

Mal narrowed her eyes at him. "The compliment insult combo," she said, "Classic villain technique. Nice." She laughed. "I am definitely rubbing off on you."

"I would rather you-" Ben started, then stopped when Charlie joined them again, her arms laden with several dress up items.

She handed Ben a plastic crown and a pair of disguise glasses and he put them on without question, making Mal laugh. Then she turned to Mal and handed her a plastic silver tiara with an array of pink gems and a pink boa with neon bright feathers.

The tiara was easy enough, since she didn't have to see the pink and she placed it on her head as best she could. "It hides the horns well," Ben said as he laughed through the large glasses and fake nose and Mal laughed too, swinging the boa around her neck.

"I'm sorry," Mal joked back, "Do I know you?" She teased, grabbing onto the plastic nose and wiggling it slightly.

"Follow me please," Charlie spoke with a gentle bow and Ben and Mal bowed back. Then she led them into her bedroom. "May I present Prince Footstool and Princess Featherduster." Charlie introduced them to about a million stuffed animals all around the room, all in various states of wear.

Mal had never seen so many stuffed animals in one place, or had so many plastic and glass eyes staring at her. She hadn't ever had a doll or a stuffed animal, her mother considered them weak and childish, but she had always wanted to play with them when the other kids of the island had them.

"This is Mr. Stuffington, Mr. Fluffytail, and Princess Lollipop," Charlie continued, indicating to the three stuffed animals, a bear, a fox and a pink unicorn, crowded onto one of the little wooden chairs around a small wooden table. "Please take your seats and I will make sure the tea is hot enough for Princess Featherduster."

Ben pulled out the little wooden chair for Mal and she sat, then he took his seat. Always the gentleman, even during pretend tea parties. "So Princess Charlie, I heard someone has a birthday coming up," Ben, or Prince Footstool began.

Charlie nodded. "Daddy says that once I'm six, I can start learning to ride a horse like a real princess!" She exclaimed, setting an empty plastic teacup in front of Mal. "Do you know how to ride a horse, Princess?" She asked looking to Mal.

"I just recently learned," Mal explained with a smile, "but your daddy will be a good teacher," She answered, sneaking a look to Ben, remembering her first experiences on his horse.

"What do you want for your birthday, Pretty Girl?" Ben asked as Charlie set a teacup in front of him. Mal looked around the room, taking in all of the toys and games, it seemed like there was nothing Charlie didn't have.

"I want a Pretty Pink Princess Castle with the light up windows and Prince Charmand, and a happy pony riding saddle, and a Little Miss Princess dress," Charlie answered without even having to think about it. "Does anyone want cream or sugar?" She asked, looking from Ben to the stuffed animals to Mal.

* * *

Nearly an hour and a half later, Ben and Mal left Charlie's room as themselves, off to get ready for the banquet dinner with about a thousand or more guests.

"She likes you," Ben told her, taking her hand, "And I have to say, Princess Featherduster, you make a very cute pinkette."

Mal instantly reached for her hair. "Did I miss a spot?" She asked, worriedly, running her fingers through her once again purple tendrils.

"You're all purple again," He assured her, tousling her bangs. "And thank you for doing that. Charlie is the only kid here in the castle and no one really has a lot of time to just play with her," He explained.

"Thank goodness," She breathed a sigh of relief. "And it was actually fun," she admitted, "Who knew stuffed animals could talk so much?" She laughed as they moved down the hall toward the main stairs.

He watched her move with a lightness that made his heart beat just a little faster and he caught up to her with a few short steps. "Hey Mal?" He asked, stopping her before she hit the stairs. And she turned to face him, "Summer Solstice is coming up." As if she didn't know. "After the council tomorrow will you meet me in the library?" He asked.

"Of course," She answered with a smile. "I can't believe you still think that you think you can find the solution in a week and that you think you're going to find it before I do," She teased. "I can't have you showing me up by running a kingdom, speaking pretty much every language, and finding the solution to a magic problem."

"I do the best I can," He explained. "And I was the one who got us into this mess with the 'my love for you is ridiculous' fiasco."

Mal tried not to be too harsh and he could see that. "You're going to have to teach me those dance moves sometime," She said, mostly in jest. "After I find the solution to our magical problem.".

He laughed. "I will," He answered, "After I find the solution. I have to save you, remember?"

Mal rolled her eyes. "What exactly do you have to save me from?" She asked, "The brink of death?" She joked.

"If it's required, yes," Ben answered, not even wanting to think about that possibility.

She laughed a short laugh. "Race you to the dining hall?" She asked him, but before he could respond she was darting down the steps. "Ready Go!" She shouted as she sprinted.

"That's cheating!" Ben shouted, chasing after her and catching up pretty quick.

"VK!" She shouted back, breathless, as he caught her and wrapped his arms around her as they reached the hallway to the dining hall.

He turned her to face him, and she didn't resist at all. He caught her eyes and she gazed back at him. "I know I messed this part up under the love spell with the whole 'did I mention that?' thing and then our date," he started, knowing his cheeks were pink, if not a dark red. He was rambling and he knew it. "And I know we've only been together officially for less than two months," he took a deep breath, "But I really do love you. You are the only one for me."

Mal stared up at him, her eyes full of questions. "You didn't mess anything up," She told him gently, her focus moving from his eyes and to the hallway. "It's just not the right time for me to say it back," she admitted, breaking away from his arms and moving toward the dining hall.

He could understand that.

He would give her all the time in the world if he could.

If only his own body wasn't working against him.


	27. Chapter 27

Mal stared at herself in the mirror as Evie primped her hair, pinning back a few wayward curls and getting a little too into the hairspray. Still, Mal had to admit, she had been kind of lost without Evie's fashion and makeup advice.

"You're not going to impress anyone," Her mother's small voice came from the window sill as Evie pinned back her bangs. "They fear you and they should after what happened at the ball." Mal turned away from the mirror to look at the plastic cage to see her mother gloating it seemed.

Evie was staying tight lipped, too engrossed in perfecting the disaster that had become Mal's hair in the humidity.

"How do you know what happened?" Mal asked, watching the small black lizard carefully. Her hair pulling against Evie's hands. As far as she knew her mother had been trapped in her cage, the only view of the world she had the room and outside the window.

"I know everything, daughter," Her mother told her. "You are just like I was at your age, weakened by the idea of acceptance, but you will never get it," She warned. "The pup will get bored eventually," She reminded her. "He'll run for the next thing that interests him."

"You're wrong," Mal answered. "Just because you were scorned by a prince doesn't mean I will be too," She answered. "I'm never going to become you, mother."

"Give it time, Mal," Maleficent answered, "I just hope I'm there to see the first time my little progeny kills," She cooed.

Before Mal could answer, a knock came at the door. Ben was there to pick her up for the first meeting of the council and she wasn't quite ready. Evie left her hair, mostly finished and went to open the door. Mal turned to see Ben waiting outside, looking quite regal in his crown.

"Would it be abusing your power as king to ask for five more minutes?" Evie asked, "Or is it simply VK enough to be late?"

Ben smiled. "Take your time," He told her, "Everyone knows the king is always fashionably late," He answered as she led him in. "I'll just-" he looked around for something to do. "Sit here and-"

"Look pretty?" Mal suggested with a cheeky smile before she and Evie moved to the bathroom. She wished her makeup would just do itself and she would rather go without it, but with the press there, and her not so stellar record, she wanted everything to be perfect. She heard him laugh and figured he would be fine with her mother for under ten minutes. They were just behind the door if anything were to happen.

She listened for any sign of trouble beyond the door as Evie made her up, gossiping about the most recent events of the isle and how great it had been to have wifi. For the most part, the other room was was quiet, besides a slight humming. It was a song she recognized, from her childhood. The one she couldn't help but hum herself.

Evie fixed her lipstick and made her stop humming. "You're all done," Evie answered, "Knock em dead," she said with a little smile. "We're still on for movie night after your whole council of the seven kingdoms, right?" She asked.

"Ben has all five of the Charmington Chainsaw Charade movies, and Seven Brides for Seven Dwarves," Mal answered, then she opened the door and froze.

She saw Ben on his knees in front of her mother's cage, his hands about to pull the crown from his head, frozen in reverence it seemed. Evie turned to her.

"I've got this," Mal told her, not wanting to keep her longer than she already had. She knew Evie and Doug had a lunch date. Evie left without too much of a fight and Mal ran to Ben and yanked him to his feet, seemingly pulling him out of a trance.

"I can't believe you!" She hissed, turning toward her mother. "As if he would ever hand you the crown so easily!"

The small lizard just laughed. "He would have," she said, "If you hadn't stopped him, or perhaps that wasn't my whole plan."

Then Mal jumped as Ben turned her around, his arms snaking around her waist, pulling her closer. "That's a beautiful shade of lipstick," He told her, his voice low, before he leaned in. She struggled against him. "I want it all over my face." She could see a familiar blankness behind his eyes.

He leaned closer and she ducked out of the way, narrowly missing his lips. She knew it was something her mother had done, some hold she had over him, even as a small reptile. Though she didn't sense any magic. Tricky bitch.

He turned her toward the bed, easing her backwards until she could feel it behind her knees. She struggled against him as he eased her down onto the blue gingham patterned comforter, his lips getting close to their target.

Mal balled her fists, ready to attack, but she remembered what had happened the last time, how damaged Ben had looked after she had attacked him. She wrestled against him, but he persisted.

Then an idea struck her.

"With this slap, make my mother's hold loosen, reverse this hold upon my Ben!" Then she slapped him hard across the face.

After that, he seemed to wake up. "Mal?" He asked, blinking a few times, most likely trying to clear his vision after such a forceful slap, then looking around, wondering how he had gotten where he had. "What happened?" He asked, searching her face for any clue.

She gave him a small smile, running her hand across his cheek gently, her eyes definitely not missing the redness that was forming on his delicate skin. "You are just too easy to hypnotize," She told him. "And I had to break it somehow," She explained, pulling her hand away.

He removed some of the pressure from her hips, and pulled most of his weight from her. "I'm sorry," He said, standing up and offering her his hand. "I'm not making it easy on you," He added.

She shook her head, "It's never been easy on me," She admitted. "I just don't get handsy and weird." she took his hand and stood, pulling him from the room and her mother's dangerous influence. "or hypnotized."

"It's part of being king," Ben answered, "Everyone wants you to be on their side by whatever means necessary. That's why my dad outlawed most magic," He explained. "And how I know when I'm being spelled," He admitted as she led him down the hall. The further away from her mother, the better it seemed.

He pulled her back to him, pulling the hairpin that pinned her bangs back, making them spring forward and curl in front of her vision. "Why did you-?" She started, then stopped, her eyes catching his again.

He curled it around his finger gently, then let it go, she figured making the perfect curl against her forehead with all the hairspray and hair product Evie had used. "While I like what Evie's done," he started, "That is definitely more Mal," He explained with a little smile. "Though Charlie's pink tiara would work great right about now," He decided. "Something to hide the horns."

Mal practically snorted. "Only if you wear the disguise glasses again," She said, and he laughed. "The only way I will wear a tiara or a crown is if I'm queen," She admitted, then she felt her cheeks grow warm. "I mean-" she tried to cover.

"Did I really say that I wanted your lipstick shade all over my face?" He asked, trying not to laugh harder. She nodded. "Well it's true, but under the current circumstances, with the council and the whole kiss thing, we should probably hold off."

"You don't say?" Mal answered sarcastically. "The crown makes you look like a dork, but it belongs there, Little Benny Foo Foo," She admitted with a little laugh, walking a few steps ahead of him, "and it is kind of cute."

She didn't have to look back to know he was smiling at her, a touch of pink across both his cheeks.

* * *

It felt strange to sit next to Ben on his throne. She wasn't in an actual throne, most likely for fear of what it could convey to the masses, especially since so many people thought she looked like a spitting image of her mother. She was sat in a cushy fold up chair, like the rest of the council it seemed. Still, to sit next to Ben and be bowed to like it was as much of a requirement as it was to bow to him, was weird and uncomfortable. Especially with all of the reporters and photographers around.

Ben seemed to notice she was tense and he extended her hand to her, leaning just close enough to make it look like a kiss on the cheek. "It will get easier," he told her, squeezing her hand gently and she felt a smile start to pull at the edges of her lips. "Once the actual discussions start things can get pretty interesting," He explained, and she could tell he was remembering previous years.

She nodded, "I keep thinking about our library date after this," She admitted.

"And our movie night with Evie and the others," Ben added, "Are we really going to try and get through all five Charmington Chainsaw Charades?" He asked.

Mal laughed. "Don't get between Evie and her cheesy horror movies," She warned.

They separated slightly as the next kingdom's representatives walked in and toward the throne. "Presenting King Arthur and his consort Merlin and his daughter Meredith"

The ancient man from the reunion ball entered, followed by an old man with a long white beard and a pinkette with several piercings. She had definitely been dragged against her will and Mal found that she could definitely relate, in some ways. The ancient man bowed to Ben with more agility than Mal thought possible, followed by Merlin and his daughter and then looked up at Mal and froze for a brief second before bowing, keeping his eyes locked on hers the whole time. Merlin and his daughter followed, but Mal could still feel the old man's eyes on her.

King Arthur, and he was spelled with a strong spell. One that made her shiver down to her bones. A strong magician, quite possibly with more magic than her mother, had cast it.

Once they completed their pleasantries and turned to find their seats, Mal leaned slightly closer to Ben. "King Arthur is spelled," She warned him, through a smile as the Charmings and their representatives made their way toward them.

Ben didn't seem that surprised. "Everyone knows that," He told her gently, "Didn't you do any research in the magical history section?" He asked, "Or pay attention to Jiminy Cricket's history lessons?"

She hadn't, and he knew it.

"It's another promise situation," Ben admitted, minutes later, once the Charmings made their way to their seats. "Arthur made a promise to give up his kingdom when he died," He explained.

Mal tried not to visibly scoff, especially since the cameras were trained on them. "So he doesn't want to give up his rule?" She asked. "What a shock!"

Ben smiled at her, "It's more like who he promised it to," he answered, "under a very powerful love spell."

And then it all seemed to click. "My mother," She realized.

He gave her a short nod before he stood, all of the delegates in their seats. "Welcome to the first meeting of the Council of the Seven Kingdoms," He began, "We are just about ready to get started," he assured them, with his calm but authoritative voice. "We're just waiting on one last group of delegates."

Mal looked around, counting each of the seven kingdoms and their outlying provinces delegates. There wasn't anyone missing from what she could tell, but she began counting them off anyway.

Ben's parents, Belle and Adam for Auradon.

Jasmine, Aladdin and Genie for Agrabah and Mulan, Li Shang and the slim adviser from the surrounding areas.

Aurora, Phillip and the three fairies for the Dormant castle, along with Arthur, Merlin and his daughter for Camelot.

Cinderella, Charming and Chad for Cinderellasburg.

Snow White for Charmington.

Ariel and Eric and Triton from Ericstown and Atlantia Bay.

Rapunzel, Eugene, Eilonwy, Taran and the harp player whose name she couldn't remember from Towerstown and the surrounding areas.

Everyone seemed present and accounted for. Then the double doors slammed open to reveal three very familiar faces. Mal couldn't hide the smile from her face if she wanted to. She had no doubt Ben had something to do with it.

"Presenting Genevieve Grimhilde, Carlos De vil and Jay Viscera, representing the Isle of the Lost."

That seemed to cause an uproar.

"We can't have representatives from the Isle of the Lost!" Someone shouted.

"They're just children!" Someone else chimed in.

"What are we going to allow next?" Someone screeched, "Animals and Sidekicks?"

It was a cacophony of noise and Mal struggled to follow the voices and where they belonged. She focused on Evie, Jay and Carlos as they walked the long aisle toward where she and Ben were sitting, all three of them confident, as if they couldn't even hear the uproar. Mal continued to smile as they bowed to Ben with the perfect bows, almost as if they didn't hear the dissent of the other delegates around them.

Ben nodded to them, ignoring the shouting and disagreement as long as he could. Then they moved to Mal and bowed again, the dissent only growing as the three of them took their seats.

"Everyone quiet down!" Ben shouted, his tone forceful and authoritative. Mal was sure if he had been an animal his hackles would be raised. Surprisingly, everyone did calm down and come to order, all eyes turning to Ben. "As I was saying, Welcome to the first meeting of the council of the Seven Kingdoms." He looked around at each of the the groups of delegates, stopping on the three of them from the Isle of the Lost. "As king, I am going to run things a little differently," He explained. "The Isle of the Lost is part of Auradon and our citizens live there too."

There were murmurs of discontent, but no one bold enough to say anything loud enough to hear.

"Who wants to start with the concerns of their towns?" Ben asked, as if there had been no issue at all. Cinderella raised her hand daintily. "Cinderellasburg, you have the floor."

Cinderella cleared her throat and stood up. She opened her mouth to speak, but Phillip Dormant spoke instead.

"Are we really going to continue the charade that the boy is in charge?" He asked, and Mal stared him down, her hands practically itching to spell him with something simple, but embarrassingly evil. He looked to Ben's parents. "Adam, are you really going to let this continue?" He asked, "The idea that a sixteen year old can run a kingdom is ludicrous!" His eyes moved from Ben to her, his voice thick with disgust "Especially with that evil thing whispering in his ear."

Mal didn't have to look right at Ben to see he was livid. She could see out of the corner of her eye that his fists were balled up tight and shaking with an anger she had never seen from him before. She half wanted to calm him down, ease him back into his calm self. The other half of her wanted complete destruction.

She kept her eyes on Phillip Dormant, his anger evident on his face too. Tensions were high and she could feel her own anger rising within her, the magic just itching to be released and cause havoc. Yet she waited. She, and everyone else wanted to see how he would handle it.

"She's one of the spawn of the Queen of Evil," Phillip reminded them, "Her spitting image and we're just going to let her sit up there with the "king" as if nothing is wrong?" Phillip vented, using air quotes. "Are we all just going to so easily forget how she ruined the reunion ball?" He asked, looking around to his fellow delegates with their injuries still various shades of blues and purples.

"Are we forgetting our history?" He continued, when no one was bold enough to shut him up. "Maleficent was once deemed good and we're still reeling from the destruction she caused. Are we going to delude ourselves yet again when dealing with a Blackheart?"

"Enough!" Someone shouted from the other delegates and Mal's eyes searched the crowd to land on King Arthur, hobbling to his feet. Even Phillip stayed silent, reverent to the wizened old king. "There is no doubt we all remember the havoc Maleficent wreaked." He looked to every face near him. "What we forget, is that we made her that way."

Even Ben stared for several long seconds before he continued. "King Arthur, you have the floor," He spoke, his anger in check, replaced by shock, even though there was no doubt King Arthur had already captivated them.

King Arthur leaned against the chair in front of him, and Mal could see that he was unsteady, but he stayed standing anyway. His voice strong but gentle. "We deemed her good, promised her things, then we hurt her," He explained, and Mal hung on his every word. "She trusted us and we did nothing but cause her pain and lead her to seek revenge. Let's not make that same mistake with her daughter," He suggested.

After that, some of the tension seemed to ease in the room. Mal made a note to research more of her mother's history. Ben brought the attention back to him. "Well said, King Arthur," He spoke, and Mal didn't miss his quick glance to her and his little smile. "Cinderellasburg, you now have the floor."

After that, things proceeded as normal, or so Mal thought, never having been to a council of the seven kingdoms before.

After that, things got boring.


	28. Chapter 28

"That concludes the first meeting of the Council of the seven kingdoms," Ben said, trying not to sound too relieved. It had been a long few hours listening to everyone's complaints and their desire for change. It was only going to get worse over the next few days when they would take several hours for each township and surrounding areas problems.

At least he would have Mal next to him to help him get through the hours of depressing problems and their most likely mediocre solutions.

"We'll pick up with the solutions for Cinderellasburg in the morning," He continued, and then everyone stood as he and Mal stood to leave the conference room together.

He offered her his hand, and she took it. The cameras and flashes not easily missed as he kissed her hand, feeling a little bold. Then he led her from the conference room and into the hallway.

"That wasn't so bad," Mal spoke, brushing her bangs out of her eyes as they began their trek down the hallway. "Though tomorrow, I am going to need more coffee," She decided, "and maybe strawberry pancakes."

"You and your strawberries," Ben laughed, shaking his head slowly, his eyes on her the whole time, the smile pulling at the edges of his lips.

"King Ben!" A reporter called from farther down the hall and he turned out of reflex to see several standing there. He knew he should give them a little tidbit, even though the decisions of the council were to remain mostly secret until the final decisions, but he knew exactly what they would focus on.

Mal and the uproar she had caused just by being there.

"Can you run in your shoes?" He turned to Mal and asked and she nodded slowly with a smile. "There's a secret tunnel entrance around the corner, so just turn around slowly, and walk as if you haven't even heard them."

He led her down the hallway calmly, the sound of the paparazzi behind them only seeming to get louder, calling his name and hers as they got closer, trying to get anything from them.

"Start walking a little faster," He suggested and they picked up their pace for a few feet. They rounded the corner and he pulled her faster, running for the tapestry of his family line and pulling her behind it, slipping into the alcove, holding her close, hoping they were not visible.

They were already close enough, his knees bumping against hers, their waists, and chests close, but Ben shifted her closer, forcing her shoes between his, their knees side by side, so she was basically straddling him.

 _Dead puppies, Mrs. Potts naked, parents dead in a horrible fire. Maleficent naked._

He thought of everything disgusting or gross or just downright nightmarish, all while her perfume and the warmth of her skin against his hands fought against it. He pushed her further into the stone alcove as the sound of the reporters approaching became louder. She caught his eyes and they waited, a blush crossing her cheeks even under all of the blush Evie had already applied.

Somewhere, in one of the bricks, was the release to open the door to reveal the secret passageway, but with the reporters so close, any sound could alert them to their hiding place. In their current position, it would be pretty bad press. So they waited.

She gripped his hand as they waited and he looked to her, trying to ask as many questions as he could with his eyes. He practically held his breath as he listened for the reporters and photographers to leave. He started to hear them shuffling away and he moved his hands to start feeling the bricks for the lever.

"The secret tunnel entrance is here somewhere," Ben whispered, trying to focus on the cool bricks beneath his hands and not the warmth of her body against his.

Mal fought back a laugh. "And here I thought you just wanted a few seconds of closeness," She whispered back. "Or to tease me with the whole kiss thing," She added icily.

"I would never-" He started, but was unable to finish.

The right brick gave way under his hand and the whole wall fell away, plunging them backwards into the darkness, and sliding down further into the castle basements he guessed. He could hear her shriek in fear as they started their descent, then it slowly became a giddy laugh as the chute began to wind and curve further.

He had to admit, it was quite fun, the twists and turns in the chute quite unexpected. Fun and suspenseful, until the landing.

The landing was rough, the smoothness of the metal chute giving way to launch him in the air, hard gravel and glass and what felt like a thousand rusty nails to greet him. The sheer force of the landing knocked the wind out of him for several seconds, making him gasp for air like a fish out of water. The darkness so dark he wasn't sure if he was blacking out from lack of air, or if it was really that dark.

Several seconds of what felt like a lifetime later, he could finally get a deep breath. That was not what he had expected at all. It was supposed to lead to a secret passage like the rest that led to the library, not a death slide of doom.

Somewhere close by, he heard Mal begin to laugh. "I don't know whether to be excited that there's a secret trap door slide or pissed at you for nearly getting us killed," She admitted.

A green light appeared to his left and he turned to see her sitting up, a small green flame illuminated in her hand. She looked a little less put together as she had in the meeting of the council, with dirt smudged across her face, and a small trickle of blood from a split lip. Her dress was torn, blackened in a few places from the sheer dust in the chute. He figured he probably didn't look the best either.

"Stay excited," He suggested once he could speak, sitting up himself. "It will be hard to surprise you later if you're pissed at me," He explained, looking away from her and around the room.

It was a cell. That much was obvious, even in the dim light of her green flame. Three walls were thick jagged stone jutting out of the walls, mortared tight so no light could get in. The last wall was iron bars, discolored by age and time.

He turned to her again, and watched the green light fade from her palm, plunging them into darkness. "Are you ok?" He asked her, realizing he hadn't asked her that yet, and with the iron so close he wanted to make sure. He would really rather not have her pissed at him.

"Besides the fact that we're trapped behind a magical barrier and that I was nearly killed by a death slide, I'm just dandy," She answered. "But I'm going to have to save you again," She added and he heard her shuffle to her feet and over to the iron bars. "Though I'm not sure how picking a lock can be considered good," She added as he began to hear the sound of metal against metal.

Ben laughed, realizing the crown was no longer on his head after their death defying drop. "You're saving the king," He explained, noticing his voice was becoming more like a growl. Anti magic barrier was about to become bad news for both of them if she didn't hurry up, but he knew better than to pressure her. "It's automatically a good deed."

He looked toward the bars, even though he couldn't see anything. He knew that Mal was from the Isle of the Lost, and probably knew a lot more tricks than he had realized, but he still liked to learn new things about her. He needed something to focus on in the magical barrier.

He first focused on his hands, how each knuckle could bend tight and then release into individual fingers. He focused on how his heart beat hard in his ears. He focused on the weak scent of her perfume, a pleasant relief from the damp dungeon.

"Tell me something," He said after he cleared his throat. He hoped he wouldn't distract her from breaking them free.

"Like what?" She asked, her voice deep in focus on the lock before her, or so he guessed.

"Tell me what scares you," He decided, thinking about several things that could happen if they didn't escape soon. He wondered how he would tell her everything.

She sighed, the click of metal against metal getting louder. "Nothing scares me," She admitted as the lock clicked open and she shoved the door open with a loud screech. "Besides you making more promises," She added, with a cheeky smile, he was sure, as she stood and moved farther away, out of the cell.

He followed her without even having to think about it, hoping the magic barrier would end sooner rather than later. Luckily, ten feet or so out of the cell, Mal's green fire lit again and Ben felt rational thought return.

"I should technically be able to kiss you now," He realized, catching up to her. She turned back to him, her green flame illuminating the confused look on her face. He knew he had to explain. "I made your mother promise that she couldn't force us to do anything under magic or duress," He reminded her with a smile, quite satisfied with himself.

Mal shook her head slowly. "Hypnosis isn't magic," She explained. "Everything you did was something you wanted to do," She continued. "Not magic, just simple psychology," She said flatly as they navigated the dark tunnel. "Don't worry though," she added, "My mother is the queen of loopholes."

So much for him being the hero.

They continued down the pathway, and it was Mal who realized his crown was missing. He just shrugged it off. She gave him a look like she could slap him.

With her free hand, she turned it back toward where they had come from. "With magic that's strong, I command the crown back where it belongs," She spoke and Ben felt the crown materialize onto his head.

"Thanks," He answered, as then he extended his hand to take her once again free hand. "So your mother is good at loopholes," He began, trying to keep the conversation light and not trying to allude to the fact that they were pretty much lost.

"All faeries are," Mal answered, keeping her eyes forward in the darkness. "Or should be," She amended. "If you get a faerie to promise you something, they usually will find a way to wiggle out of it," She admitted.

"But making promises to faeries, they'll do anything to make sure you keep it," Ben answered, knowing quite a lot from the research he had done and the experiences he had had with Mal and her mother.

"Exactly," Mal answered darkly. "If it benefits them, good luck convincing them otherwise. Especially my mother," She added.

He could think of a thousand things to say, but luckily he began to recognize the tunnels around him. In a few hundred feet or so, they would reach the exit into the library. Right where he had wanted them to be in the first place. "We're almost there," He told her confidently, figuring everything else that he wanted to say could wait until later.

"The library?" She asked and he nodded squeezing her hand gently as he pushed the shelf open to reveal the bright light of the empty library.

"Sorry we took a little detour," He explained, pulling her to the opposite side of the library and the magical history section. "But I hope it will be worth it," He looked around the corners of the shelves, making sure no one else was around to witness their secret. The secret he had set up for her.

He kicked the corner of a long rug aside to reveal a trap door and gave her a wink. He released her hand to pull the trapdoor up to reveal a ladder that plunged into darkness. He hadn't remembered it looking that sketchy when he had had helped the builders put it in. At least the real surprise was shrouded in darkness.

"Close your eyes," He told her gently, then realized how idiotic and dangerous that sounded. "When you get to the bottom of the ladder, close your eyes," He amended, even though it was probably dark enough to not be able to see anything.

He followed her down the ladder and gave her a small smile even though she couldn't see it with her eyes closed. He took her hand and pulled her to the center of the small room.

* * *

"Open your eyes," He told her softly as she heard him snap his fingers and the room became alight before her closed lids. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at a library, each wall lined with shelves stocked full of books. From several of the titles, she could see that they were mostly books not allowed in Auradon for one reason or another.

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed, unable to focus on just one side of the room at a time, her eyes trying to take in all of the sights at once. "How did you- where did you- what-?" She stumbled over her words only to be stunned into silence again.

He just laughed a short laugh. "It's yours," He told her as he watched her take it all in and then she stared at him for more of an explanation. It wasn't everyday, or ever, that someone gave her a library. "I've been putting it together for weeks," He admitted, "I had Evie go through your mom's book collection and send them over or bring them herself."

No wonder she recognized so many of the titles and the colors of the spines. But there were so many more books there than her mother had hoarded on the isle. She knew she could ask a thousand questions, but her mouth settled on one.

"Why would you do this for me?" She asked, focusing on a bookshelf and not on Ben right next to her. Usually people only did things when they wanted something from her.

She could almost hear the smile in his voice. "You know my feelings," He said softly, "I told you I would show you what love is," he continued. "I know you hate big gestures and gooey promises, but this is how I show my feelings." She turned to look at him. "My dad gave my mom a library before they were even dating," He added and she felt a smile pulling against her cheeks. "It's practically a tradition."

She laughed at that. "I love it," She admitted, looking around the shelves one more time. "Now there's no way you'll find the answer before me," She told him with a sly smile. "With the council of the seven kingdoms you'll be swamped and I'll have this entire library and that one at my disposal."

He scoffed. "You think you're going to get out of the council that easily?" He asked, wrapping his hands around her waist. "If I have to suffer through it, then so do you, my dear," He told her. "It may be selfish, but after the hellish weeks we've had, I want you with me whenever possible."

Mal nearly couldn't contain her smile. "We'll see what your parents and the Dormants have to say about that," She answered, shivering as she remembered the conversations she had heard.

"Mal," he spoke gently into her hair, "I don't care what they say, or what they try and force me to do." He leaned his forehead against hers, their lips mere inches apart, and she knew he must be trying to torture her. "You're my everything and I'm not going anywhere. If I have to promise, make an everlasting vow before every single soul in the seven kingdoms I will."

She swore he was trying to kill her by blushing to death. "Down boy!" She teased. "A promise of that magnitude isn't necessary." Though she had to admit she liked that idea a little too much. He was telling her more than he realized he was.

He was giving her ideas of forever and for the first time, the idea wasn't terrible.

"For all we know, you could be a horrible kisser," She continued, feeling the conversation getting too heavy all at once. She had to tease him a little bit.

He laughed. "What's so hard about kissing?" He asked with a slight shrug, his breath warm against her cheeks. "You just grab a girl by her waist so she can't escape." He gripped her hips gently. "Lean in just enough to tease her, but not be overbearing." He didn't lean any closer, they were already close enough for her liking. "Close your eyes so you don't look like a deranged serial killer, and bam kiss train to Lipsville." He released her gently, creating a bit of distance between them.

She laughed, frustrated for the first time in a while that they couldn't actually kiss. "Kiss train to Lipsville?" She asked, "Really?"

He laughed as he nodded. "If you're lucky, that train can depart to other places," He said, his hands roaming down her sides, and around her waist again.

She could feel the blush rushing to get cheeks, those thoughts totally off limits until their kiss dilemma was solved. So instead she turned to the books and busied herself with research from the books she hadn't seen in months.

They needed to find answers before too much longer.


	29. Chapter 29

The theatre was cushier than Mal expected. For it being the one room she hadn't seen yet, it was definitely not a disappointment, especially with Ben lounging on one of the large couches as she and Evie and Doug entered.

"Where are Jay and Carlos?" Evie asked beside her as Mal took Ben in.

His hair was tousled just right, no sign of the crown, or of any crown hair after several long hours of wearing it. His pajamas the exact opposite of the regal silk she had been expecting, but a worn t shirt with the logo for the Auradon Hummingbirds in a dark blue, his plaid sleep pants the same blue and green and white. He looked perfect and she couldn't help the smile that pulled at her cheeks.

"They went for snacks ages ago," Ben admitted, "Though they probably got distracted by the chocolate fountain," He guessed.

Typical Jay and Carlos. Chocolate and fountains equaled trouble and delays in movie plans.

Evie sighed, though Mal knew she wasn't really that disappointed. "I'll go check on them," She said, turning down the aisle toward the concession stand of the Royal theatre. Doug followed, as Mal guessed he would, leaving Mal and Ben alone.

Mal found that it was the perfect opportunity to tease him. "What? No footie pajamas with little crowns on them?" She asked, lingering over by the doorway, letting him get an eyeful of the little number Evie had forced her in, the one that she felt was more like lingerie. The one Evie had said that Ben would go crazy for, and so far, she wasn't wrong.

His reactions were subtle, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed hard, the quick blush that he subverted. "Nope," He answered with a smile. "And what about you?" He answered back. "Gave up the leather for silk and lace?"

"Evie made me," Mal admitted, giving a little twirl making the top fly up a bit, and the sheer robe billow like a cape. A bit of teasing was fair, right? "She wouldn't let me get away with the leather shorts though I begged."

He laughed and she knew he had been imagining it. "At the risk of sounding like a cad," he began, and she followed his eyes down her body again, "With a body like that, I would promise you my kingdom again and again and again." He stood, closing some of the distance between them.

"I like Evil Ben," She admitted with a laugh, "He could rival the Gastons with his lewd pick up lines." She walked her fingers up his chest and into his hair. "Though he should remember that his girlfriend is now good and would never ever tease him in any way shape or form."

Ben practically snorted. "You can tease all you want for now," He told her, "but you should know that once I can kiss you freely, all bets are off."

Mal felt the blush appear on her own cheeks. The thought of it, quite thrilling, the reality of breaking the promise soon approaching making her stomach do flips. "Do I have to cuddle up with Jay or Carlos during this movie night while the lust spell you're under wears off, King Benjamin?" She asked innocently.

He pulled her closer, making her gasp. "No spells, and no King tonight," He told her, "Just your boyfriend, a very desperate teenage boy itching for-"

Evie cleared her throat and she and Ben separated slightly "Do I have to get the spray bottle?" She asked with a wink that Mal didn't miss. She had become quite protective since they found out about the consequences of "just one kiss".

Mal was just glad she and the others hadn't walked in a few minutes earlier. "I'll be good," Ben said, pulling himself further away from Mal until all he held was her hand. Then he pulled her back to the couch where he had been lounging before and they all settled in on the several couches and started the first Charmington Chainsaw Charade movies.

Mal snuggled into him as the credits rolled, showing a teenage girl in an old fashioned cheerleader uniform running through a cemetery, screaming her head off. Ben smelled woodsy and crisp and clean, his heartbeat loud and steady in her ears, as the credits played on.

She realized Ben had never watched any horror movies with them when Jay started laughing from one of the couches behind them and Carlos joined in as the girl ran into the mausoleum chased by the chainsaw wielding murderer.

She and her fellow VKs used to laugh at the misfortunes of the heroes and heroines of the horror movies. No matter how serious the plot, they always found something to laugh at. The Charmington Chainsaw Charades were the cheesiest horror movies in all of Auradon.

No wonder they had started laughing.

"I want the AK opinion," Jay voiced as the aged credits gave way to the first scene after the gruesome bloodbath of the cheerleader. "The plots behind these are cheesy, right?"

Mal felt Ben shift against her to look at Jay in the back of the theatre. "They're from when our parents were kids," He answered. "Nowhere near as what passes at scary today," He explained. "I mean the scene when Carrie sings to the chainsaw, who would do that in real life?"

Doug laughed too. "That, and it's backed with the Beedles," He said, "The Beedles are not scary at all."

Evie scoffed. "You all just don't appreciate cinema classics," She said, crossing her arms tight and pulling away from Doug's arm around her.

"I still can't believe they made five of them," Carlos answered, snuggling Dude close to him, or so Mal guessed.

"Three is by far the best," Mal said. "The scene where Carrie is possessed by the chainsaw wielding killer is almost realistic."

Ben laughed beside her. "If you don't count that the background music is the cheeriest song by the Beedles, Goodnight Moonshine."

They all seemed to laugh at that. "Ok Ben and Doug," Jay continued, "I want to know your plan to take out Johnny Chainsaw and don't spare any bloody details."

"Easy," Ben answered, stretching to look over the couch to find Jay in the semi darkness. "Hide out in the athletics shed from number four, bash his head in with a tourney shield and turn him into the authorities."

"Boring!" Carlos and Evie both shouted out.

"Besides, in four, he's already the ghost of Johnny Chainsaw," Evie pointed out. "You're dead against a ghost, Ben."

"Should have just let Mal save you," Carlos added, and even Ben smiled at that.

"Doug?" He asked, passing the conversation onto his fellow AK. "Any better suggestions?"

"Time machine to prevent his tragic backstory?" Doug asked, as if he wasn't even sure himself, "or a machine to trap ghosts if it's post three," He added.

"We'd just take him out VK style," Jay admitted.

"Make him cry for his mother by the time we were done," Mal added with a wicked smile.

"Can we please just watch the movie?" Evie whined and they all laughed, then returned to the movie.

Mal snuggled into Ben yet again, her head finding the perfect position against his chest, as he wrapped his arm lazily around her shoulder and rested his hand on top of her head gently. She wrapped her arm over his abs and rest her fingers against his side.

As the movie continued, the plot building up to reveal Johnny Chainsaw, the jaded killer with his chainsaw possessed by Hades, Ben began running his fingers through her hair, varying the pressure from light as air, to a massage like pressure. She reciprocated, drawing little jagged hearts against his hip, his heartbeat in one ear, the shrieks of Carrie DoGooder in the other.

They stayed comfortable like that for quite some time, through the rest of the first movie and halfway through the second. That is until Harry DeWolf was introduced, the plucky, fake prosthetic wolf mask almost laughable.

" _I could never love a beast like you, Harry."_ Carrie's voice came from the projector, " _I already promised to go to prom with Jack Bloodgetter."_

The line was supposed to be campy and cheesy, but Ben tensed up against her, his thoughts obviously somewhere else. She had stopped drawing designs against him nearly a half an hour earlier, her hand resting lazily against him, but he had continued rubbing her head, and her back gently, lulling her almost to sleep, until he had tensed up.

She watched him for a few seconds, the scene continuing on, the flashes of light catching Ben's hardened features. Something had made him tense up like she had never seen him tense up before.

She leaned closer to him, their arms still tangled around each other loosely. She pulled him to her tightly, resting her forehead against his neck gently and after several seconds he seemed to ease up. Then she began to draw soft hearts against his hip again.

The peppy prom scene gave way to blood and gore, and Mal found herself relaxing against Ben again, the screams of the fake 50's teens almost like lullabies to her ears.

"I love you," He whispered into her hair several minutes later. It was barely even a whisper at all, but enough for her to hear it over the sounds of the screams from the projector in her half asleep haze.

The screams of the teens being showered in blood giving way to his voice and other strange scenarios in her dreams.

 _Sometimes I think you're the only person who can save me from myself._


	30. Chapter 30

Ben knew he shouldn't have carried Mal back to her room the night after the movie marathon. He knew it was the right thing to do, especially with the council and Phillip Dormant questioning his every move, but he had longed to do the wrong thing for once, and wake up next to her. Every other time he had been thwarted.

Still, he had been surprised that Mal had stayed asleep through the rest of the Charmington Chainsaw Charade series with all of the gory screams and cheesy Beedles music. Then again, he figured it could have been much worse on the island.

He was more surprised when she had stayed asleep through his and the others good nights and farewells. She barely even stirred when he lifted her into his arms and carried her across the castle toward her bedroom. He wished she would have stirred and held him close, pulling him into bed with her, but instead she had barely twitched when her head hit the pillow, mumbling one of his favorite phrases from her mouth.

"Love is not weak," She had mumbled, and Ben figured she must have been dreaming about the coronation, as he often had. He had hoped that hers ended happier than his did.

He had wanted to stay, find out how her dream ended based on the look on her face, but he could feel exhaustion dragging him down the longer he stayed, so he had left her with one last brush of his fingers through her hair, and crashed into his own bed, his mind whirring with the sleepy possibilities of breaking that promise.

He had woken up that morning with no more solutions than he had had the night before. And at that moment, he wandered down the hall toward her room to make sure she had woken up on time and wasn't trying to weasel out of her council duties.

Only before he could even get to the west wing, Meredith, the daughter of Merlin and a pinkette, stopped him, trying to make small talk, almost like she was trying to distract him.

"So King Ben," She started and she was smooth and charismatic, he would definitely give her that. "Can we talk about the elephant in the room?" She asked, "The spell Mal used on you was my father's spell and the same one her mother used on Arthur. It has some unexpected extended consequences." He tried to move past her, his thoughts exclusively on Mal and their afternoon plans, well the ones he had for them, a complete surprise for her. "You don't want to end up like Arthur, do you?" She asked before he moved toward the stairs and she let him.

From there, the journey to Mal's chamber was easy. No more distractions once he got up the stairs. The hallway gave way to her bedroom door and he knocked with a smile.

Then she opened the door with a gentle smile and he felt something shift in him. Suddenly her hair wasn't as vibrant, her lips not as pink, her general aura not as pleasing to him. The idea of kissing her quite honestly making him want to vomit.

Hypnotism?

No, it was definitely a spell.

"Mal," he spoke, the idea of offering her his hand nearly as revolting as kissing her, "I-" it was as if the words got caught in his throat, an unknown magical bubble caught in his throat if he even tried to mention the word spell. He wasn't sure he even wanted to tell her anyway.

The idea of spending more time with her than absolutely necessary, was revolting. He would rather roam the forest sampling different types of animal scat for the rest of his life than continue talking to her for five more seconds.

"I think you should sit with the delegates from the Isle of the Lost," He suggested, turning away and making his quick exit, most likely leaving her confused.

Whoever had spelled him had been good.

* * *

"What the hell?" Jay asked after Mal had told the other three what had happened earlier that morning with Ben. "Did he go on a bender this morning and knock on your door drunk?"

"I wish," Mal answered as they entered the boardroom for the council. "Just the way he said it without feeling, like he was going to vomit if he looked at me." They walked down the aisle toward the throne where King Ben sat together, "it was just weird," She whispered before they reached King Ben and all bowed.

As soon as they bowed, and Ben got a good glimpse of Mal, he visibly shuddered and Mal joined her other delegates in the seats of the crowd, watching Ben carefully.

It was such a marked change and she wondered just what had caused it. Was she dreaming? She hoped so.

"We continue the council of the seven kingdoms with solutions to the problems of the state of Cinderellasburg," Ben spoke, once everyone was seated.

He seemed fine when he wasn't looking right at her. Though from what she had seen, and from what she knew of magic, it would only get worse the longer it stayed. So while the council talked about the problems of Cinderellasburg, Mal thought about the spell that was so obviously over Ben, tracing the magical line of magic to stop on Meredith, Merlin's daughter.

"Delegates from the isle," Ben spoke in his authoritative holier than thou King voice, "What solutions do you propose for the increased need of road repairs in Cinderellasburg?" He asked.

Evie, Jay and Carlos looked to Mal. And she seized her chance and stood, looking right at Ben as he tried not to visibly shrink before her.

On the isle, she would have enjoyed that kind of attention. From her boyfriend, it was just cruel.

* * *

Ben could barely even look at her, the way her purple hair caught the light, the way her murky green eyes caught his as she stared at him. He was spelled bad that even being in the same room was revolting to him. Still, whoever had spelled him had been smart and probably the top of their magical class.

His bet was Meredith. She had oddly cornered him out of the blue talking about love spells and whatnot.

Her spell was genius really. An infinite loop of thinking about Mal and being fine and excited to see her, then seeing her and thinking her the most revolting creature ever. It should have been a spell right out of Maleficent's spellbook with how cruel it was. And the more he thought about her and wanted to see her, the worse it got and the less he could say about it. It was a self building spell and he hated her for that.

He didn't even realize Mal was answering his question, her voice seeming to melt into incoherent words all sounding like nails on a chalkboard. Still, he closed his eyes, and tried to listen. It seemed to make it easier.

"-Did I mention the fact that the roads are only so bad because all of the princesses are flocking to the dress shops there?" She spoke.

 _Did I mention that I'm in love with you?_

He had said that didn't he? In front of everyone at the tourney game, and he had meant it though he had been spelled under a cookie.

"The roads wouldn't be so worn after so many repairs if only they were less traveled," She continued.

 _If only I knew what my heart was telling me._

She had sung to herself on their first date and she hadn't even been spelled. The spell had been washed from him and he had meant to be stern with her, wondering why she had spelled him so violently, then he had heard her woes and decided against it, letting the spell charade play out longer.

He had told her he could teach her what love was. He had stood up for her after the disaster of Family Day and when no one else had. He believed she was good, and he had been right. He had finally admitted on the way to the cathedral that he hadn't been faking anything, and that had probably saved all of them.

"It's ridiculous not to diversify the dress sewing market," Mal continued. "Allow some of the extra weight and strain on Cinderellasburg to go to Camelot Heights and Charmington," She suggested

 _My love for you is ridiculous._

He had told her that, multiple times in song, and not in song. He had meant it in several ways.

 _Love is not ridiculous._

Mal had told her mother, while saving his kingdom. She could have easily joined her mother, ruined his kingdom, taken him along with her as her pet. She could have made the evil choice, taken any evil option presented to her, but she was good, like he thought she had been all along.

 _I'm just so ridiculous for you._

He had told her as she had baked one of his favorite cookies for him, to break a lust spell, too afraid to ruin the three word phrase another time, while under another spell.

 _No Ben,_ she had answered, _I'm ridiculous for you._

It had been her way of telling him her feelings and with that realization his eyes opened and he stared at her, still explaining her stance on fixing the roads to Cinderellasburg.

The fog seemed to clear as he thought about all the times she had made him laugh and smile and the times she had made his stomach do those little flips, both under the love spell and not. All the fun he had had with her since they had agreed to officially date a few weeks after the coronation and over the few weeks of summer they had had together. His infinite plans for the rest of their lives, if she would allow it, cleared the rest of the fog.

He hopped up from the throne and pushed through long aisle and the wayward seat legs to where Mal stood between Evie and Jay. He nearly tripped over some of the dwarves' booster seats, but he made it to her in one piece.

She faltered in her explanation, but he didn't care. He hadn't really been listening anyway. She stared at him, and he knew she was wondering what he was thinking.

"I was spelled," He told her, not caring who else heard. He felt the relief wash over him as he could finally explain.

"I know," Mal answered, her smile slightly wicked. "How do you think I knew how to break it?" She continued. "I may be good at casting spells, but I am ridiculously good at breaking them too."

"I could kiss you," He told her, "but I won't risk it because I know all about god damn loopholes."

She gave him a nod and a small smile, then she seemed to realize that all eyes seemed to be on them. It was a feeling he was used to, but he knew she thought eyes were on her for all the wrong reasons.

"Come back up with me where you belong?" He asked, extending his hand to her. She took it after mere seconds of deliberation and then he led her back up to the throne and the small not such a throne next to it.

He stayed standing and turned back to the rest of the delegates. "Let's talk about the elephant in the room, shall we?" He began, looking right toward Meredith and the other Delegates from Camelot Heights. "Yes, Mal is the daughter of Maleficent, Mistress of all things Evil. And Yes, she spelled me to get my attention," He admitted, much to the shock of those in the room that didn't know. "I am under no spell now," He added, though he knew it shouldn't matter to them.

Mal gripped his hand hard, trying to tell him to stop, he guessed. Though he didn't want to stop.

"I am your king," Ben continued, looking to as many of their faces as he could, "and I don't expect you to agree with my decisions but you at least have to honor them," He explained, trying to be as diplomatic as he could. "Mal is my girlfriend and she will have me as long as she will have me. I will love her until the day I die." He wished he could see the blush that he knew was crossing her face, but he kept his eyes on the delegates in their seats. That was technically a promise "If anyone does anything else either against Mal or myself, I will banish them without a second thought." And so was that.

That seemed to throw a darkened cloud over everything. "Does Mal's solution seem reasonable?" He asked, looking around the room at all of the shocked faces. He didn't even remember what the solution had been.

"If we moved silk production to Camelot Heights, there would be less carts to tear up the roads to Cinderellasburg," Evie spoke, standing up and catching Ben's eye, then Mal's he guessed.

Then from there, everything seemed to become normal again.

"I'm taking you out on a date this afternoon," He whispered, pretending to be interested as a delegate from Cinderellasburg ran down the list of their current problems for the council, letting the rest of them choose the next problem to face. "How much time do you need after we wrap things up here?" He asked, barely looking over to her.

"Ten minutes," She answered back, barely even moving her lips.


	31. Chapter 31

Ben let the council out again for the second day and most of them came out of the board room in throngs, heading for the dining room and the post council lunch. Ben stayed behind to address some of the more private concerns of the citizens, but Mal had exited with her friends, linking arms with Evie and whispering about Ben's surprise date proposition.

"It's about time!" Evie exclaimed, "These past weeks have been hell on the poor boy," She said, "You two deserve to go out and have fun." She began to smile as she thought about their date possibilities. "I hope he takes you dancing," She continued as Jay and Carlos impersonated her flighty movements behind her. "I've never seen you so happy as when he was twirling you around during the reunion ball. Can I dress you?" Evie asked.

Mal's eyes caught a flash of pink moving through the crowd as she almost nodded to Evie's proposition. "I'll catch up with you," Mal told her before she darted after the pink haired girl, the girl that had spelled her boyfriend with a revulsion spell against her. "Meredith, right?" She asked, matching the older girl's stride. "I'm Mal," She said, trying to take the high road. Maybe Ben's goodness was running off on her more than she thought.

"Everyone knows who you are," Meredith answered, forcing her way through the crowd and toward the stairs. It was pretty obvious she didn't want to talk to her, or anyone. She had remained tight lipped through the last few days of the council.

"That was some spell you cast on Ben," Mal continued, forcing her way through the crowd too. "A self building spell, right?" She asked.

Meredith turned, the few inches of height she had, due to her spiked heels, nearly stopping Mal in her tracks. "Is there something you want from me?" She asked, looking Mal up and down suspiciously.

"Answers," Mal spoke, standing up to her full height, not about to let the girl a few years her senior intimidate her. "Give me five minutes and all the answers I want and I won't tell Ben you're building another spell against me," She spoke, building a sleeping spell in her closed palm if the pinkette didn't agree.

"So like your mother," Meredith answered icily. "It's her spell building in your fist, is it not?" She asked. "Going to knock me out if I don't agree?" She asked, taking a few steps toward Mal, meeting her nearly nose to nose.

"Just long enough to shave your head and ship you to the isle," Mal answered fearlessly. She had seen all through the council how Meredith had favored her hair, twirling it between her fingers as the council droned on, how she had shuddered whenever any of the delegates from the isle had spoken of the hardships. "They might not take too well to Merlin's daughter would they? Since he left them in the dust," She threatened, remembering what she had read in her research.

Meredith tried not to reveal her anger, but Mal could see it all over her face. She had been defeated. "What do you want to know?" She asked.

Mal pulled her into the coat room. "Is Merlin my father?" She asked.

Meredith laughed. "Do you think we could ever be sisters?" She asked darkly. "I'm not saying your mother didn't try, though," She continued.

"She was more interested in royalty," Mal realized. "What kind of magic does my mother have over King Arthur?" She asked.

Meredith laughed darkly. "The worst kind," She answered cryptically and Mal only had to give her a slightly menacing look until she continued. "She started with a love spell," Meredith explained. "One that we thought was easily washed away, since she hadn't ever completed it with a kiss." Mal stared, it hit a little close to home, the spell she had used on Ben was from her mother's book and she had yet to kiss Ben. "She was thought to be good, until Arthur began to court Guinevere. Your mother sought her revenge with the love spell and Arthur promised her his kingdom just for a chance at her body."

Everything was starting to make sense. Her parallels to her mother were making her sick. She had spelled Ben as her mother had spelled Arthur. Ben had promised his kingdom for just a kiss as Arthur had promised his kingdom for sex. How it all ended was up to her, Mal realized.

"Who is my father?" Mal asked. She had a feeling she already knew, but she needed validation.

"That I don't know," Meredith answered. "Arthur was not the only one your mother seduced."

Mal figured as much. "You cast the spell on Ben to prevent history from repeating itself," Mal realized.

"And you broke it just as easily," Meredith lamented. "But if you had given it another hour it would have been unbreakable," She boasted crossing her arms.

"You have to show me that self building spell technique," Mal answered with a smile. "That would be killer."

"That's not even the best technique I know," Meredith dished and it was at that moment that they seemed to become more than enemies. "My dad has trained me for nearly two decades," She admitted, "That's not the only thing I know."

"This spell on Arthur to keep him alive, is your father's?" Mal asked, though she had a feeling she knew.

"And mine," Meredith added. "It's another self building spell," She admitted. "As long as Maleficent can still take over his kingdom, and by extension, Ben's kingdom, the longer Arthur will live."

"Ben's kingdom?" Mal asked, "How can she get Ben's kingdom, his promise to me?"

Meredith shook her head. "The line of kings is connected," She explained. "When King Beast was elected, or more like took the kingdom by force, he forged his line with Arthur, who kept his title of King even if it was only in name," Mal was still confused. "That and Belle is Arthur's great great grand niece, so Ben and Arthur are blood basically."

Something wasn't adding up and Mal kept trying to connect the pieces. "So my mother would get the kingdom when Arthur dies simply because he and Ben are related?"

"For six more years," Meredith answered and that was when Mal saw it. Meredith had revealed too much, more than she wanted to.

"You sneaky bitch!" Mal exclaimed with a smile, the simple sleep spell curling itself in her palm like a warm animal. So the urge to do evil was still there, not completely good and that relieved her. "You know more than you're telling."

"That's when Ben becomes legal and your mother no longer has hold over the kingdom," Meredith tried to cover, but Mal saw through her.

"Bullshit!" Mal answered, "Ben is legal in two years at eighteen as all humans are," She spoke, her words punctuated and calm. "Six years is when I become legal according to faerie law."

Then she froze.

The only reason it would hinge on her age is if she had something to do with it. Arthur hadn't promised his kingdom to her mother directly, Meredith had lied about that part, Mal was sure. To continue his royal line and pass on rule to his heir, that was an unspoken promise and Mal was sure that had pissed off her mother to no end. To be usurped by her own child, that had to have been the cruelest cut of all and that was why Meredith and her father had spelled Arthur to keep him alive.

"You know who my father is," Mal said, staring the older girl down. "It's Arthur," She realized, a chill running down her spine.

Princess indeed. Her mother had more at stake in the promises for the kingdom than she realized. One way or another it seemed that her mother would get the kingdom, unless she did something to stop her.

"But Mordred, and-" she paused not being able to remember his other sons' names from her history book, "his other sons."

Meredith laughed darkly. "You mean the children he killed so he could keep his reign?" She answered. "You better watch your back, Mal." She warned. "He looks old as dirt, but he's probably faster than Ben."

That didn't scare Mal at all. Her mother was the Mistress of Evil.

She knew her five minutes was dwindling down.

"What do you know about faerie promises?" Mal asked her, curious for another point of view on things she had been stuck staring at for weeks.

"Good luck going against your mother," Meredith laughed before the door opened to reveal a coat attendant coming in. "Occam's razor," She said before she left Mal alone.

* * *

Mal flipped through one of the books she had taken from the library Ben had provided her, only to find no answers. She threw the book against the mattress, frustrated. Her mother sat preening on the jagged branch in her cage.

"Why did you let me live?" Mal asked, the information from earlier swimming around in her brain, all of the sudden news hitting her hard. "You could have had his kingdom without me."

Her mother laughed her wicked cackle. "Someone told you," She said, scuttling across the log, closer to Mal "Was it the pup?" She asked, then she seemed to realize. "That sap Merlin couldn't keep his mouth shut!" She cackled. "How does that old fart Artie look?" She asked. "Is my curse still holding?"

"Your curse?" Mal asked and she should have expected nothing less.

"That sap Merlin cast a spell to keep your dear old dad alive until they could find a way to break the promise he made to us," Her mother explained. "Did you think I was going to let him stay pretty forever? It's all in the details, Mal," She explained. "Every time he looks in the mirror, he thinks of me and the curse becomes stronger," She gloated.

"Why keep me alive?" Mal asked, desperate for the answer. There had to be a reason.

"Child support would have been nice," Maleficent said, "but with us trapped on that blasted isle, he forgot we existed." She was the mistress of misdirection.

"Why?" Mal asked again, shaking the cage roughly.

"What better revenge than for his own child to usurp him at the right time?" Maleficent answered. "Though the pup's declaration muddled my plans slightly," She admitted. "I am so hoping you'll kill your father and that he will kill you, leaving the pup and his kingdom to me." She smiled a giddy lizard smile and Mal wanted so bad to just shove her out the window. "Or that it will come down between you and the pup. You are the next in line, older than the pup by three months."

Mal blanched. She hadn't even thought of that. Arthur had kept his status as King, meaning there was no doubt she was a princess and the next in line if she so decided.

Ick!

"Mal?" Ben's voice came from behind the door and Mal realized she must have missed his knock the first time. "Are you ready?" He asked.

She forced a smile on her face. She would find a way to break each of the promises. The promise of his kingdom for her kiss, the promise of her dead body for said kiss, and the promise of the kingdom over Arthur's dead body.

It was Ben's kingdom. Whether she was the next in line or not.


	32. Chapter 32

"You're insane!" Mal said as she stared at Ben. Had he really insisted she play dress up with him? What were they, Five? "Charlie isn't even here." Most of all she was trying to protect herself from looking silly.

In front of a child, it was expected.

Alone with your sixteen year old boyfriend? She half expected more than just kissing, and even that wasn't allowed.

"It will make sense later," Ben promised her, pulling a plaid newsie cap over his honey blonde hair and stripping off his crisp clean shirt for a tattered dingy button down and a plaid vest. He grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the table.

Mal was frankly surprised there was an entire room of old clothes just to play dress up it seemed.

Old ties and hats piled high in boxes, crumpled shirts and pants that had seen better days, and scuffed shoes in all sizes lined the walls and the dozens of racks all around the room. It seemed Ben was no stranger to it all.

Mal figured she might as well play along. "What look are you going for there, Bennyboo?" She asked, shaking any doubt from earlier out of her head. "Because these pants are definitely a better color with that grey plaid." She wouldn't call herself as much of a fashion expert as Evie, but she certainly knew that cream pants did not match well with a dark grey ensemble.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, but took the pants anyway. "You just want to get me out of my pants." He teased, and she tried to keep her eyes on the stark lines in the plaid of his hat as he stripped down.

She laughed. "Your dating skills must be a bit rusty," She said, looking around the dusty room, the smell of age and mothballs all around. "Because this is a far cry from a date location."

She didn't miss the smile that crossed his cheeks. "That's because this is barely even part one," He explained, finishing with his pants and grabbing her hand and pulling her toward more feminine clothing items. "Shall I torture you and put you in pink?" He teased, his free hand running through the racks jammed with clothes of all shapes and sizes.

"I will set it on fire!" She threatened as he laughed, pulling a blue cardigan from the rack and handing it back to her. "You and your blues," She said, rolling her eyes as he dragged her further down and she followed him willingly.

"The color suits you," He answered, his eyes focusing on the racks before him and pulling a black and white polka dotted sun dress that went out of style a few decades earlier and handed it to her.

"Is it a dress or a tent?" Mal joked, "The world will never know!" She teased as she stared at it, fluffing out the petticoats.

Ben laughed. "That style is coming back with the hipsters," He pointed out. "They like to mix their decades," He continued. "If you don't like it, I could find you something else." He assured her. "But just try it."

Mal acquiesced and pulled off her shirt, throwing it at him playfully, and slipping the dress over her head, stripping off her pants from underneath the dozens of fluffy petticoats and then standing there for a few seconds.

It wasn't horrible, and it wasn't pink. It could be much worse. "Ok," she agreed, "it's bearable." It was more than bearable in black, and she gave a little spin. He handed over the sweater, and she slipped it over her shoulders, finally taking note of herself in one of the mirrors that lined any free wall space. "I look like I stepped out of The Charmington Chainsaw Charades," She laughed.

"I like it," He admitted, coming to stand behind her, "Though, the purple hair will be a dead giveaway," He explained, twirling one of her curls through his fingers.

She raised her eyebrows at him, wondering just exactly why they were playing dress up. "Are we trying not to be recognized?" She asked, concerned of what his plans were.

"Ideally," Ben answered, "but we still might get recognized."

She stared at herself in the mirror, her purple locks a vast difference from the faded blue and subdued black and white, the anger and frustration from earlier making the magic tingle within her. "Let the purple be gone from my head, replace it with something more subdued instead," She chanted, closing her eyes, thinking about a more subdued color, blonde, brunette, even black.

She opened her eyes to reveal a soft chestnut, nearly the color of Audrey's, pre highlights of course, swept up into a mock rockabilly style, wrapped with a red bandana. It definitely wasn't the purple she was used to.

Ben stared too, then a soft smile crossed his cheeks. "You're going to get me in trouble." He groaned with a touch of anguish, his fingers trailing away from her neck and down her shoulder. "I like it," He confessed.

"I could make it permanent," Mal suggested.

"Don't you dare!" He hissed, and she watched his eyes meet hers in the mirror. She smiled, she knew she would miss the purple too much and apparently so would he.

She couldn't get the idea of all that hung over them as their eyes met. Still, it wasn't the time for that conversation. They were on a date, no matter how weird it had started.

* * *

Mal tried her best not to open her eyes when she felt the plush of a passenger seat beneath her. He had told her to keep her eyes closed and she didn't want to ruin the surprise, even though he wouldn't be able to tell if her eyes were opened or closed under the huge sunglasses he had provided. He was helping her into a car, and a small one judging by the leg space she didn't have. He shut the door next to her carefully and it was a few quiet seconds before she heard him, or someone shut the driver's door.

She still resisted opening her eyes, as terrifying as the idea of being in a strange car was, with no sure sign of Ben. Had it all been a ruse to send her back to the isle?

"Relax," He told her gently, gripping her hand in his, his lips gently grazing the back of her hand. "It will be worth it, I promise."

"You're throwing that word around a bit too easily," Mal answered, as the small car sputtered to life with a low grumble. "And how can you know it will be worth it?" She asked, already feeling high strung.

He was quiet for a few seconds as the car began to lurch forward. "Let me know the second you feel a genuine smile that you can't even try to hold in, pulling at your cheeks." He requested. "That's how I know it's worth it." He squeezed her hand.

He was too good for her, she realized. The perfect gentleman, and she had been complaining the entire time, worried about the new information she had received after the latest council meeting. She decided she wasn't going to think about it.

"You can open your eyes." Ben told her, releasing her hand for a few brief seconds to shift the car again it seemed. "For now. It's a bit of a long ride."

Mal opened her eyes, and was instantly greeted by the bright greens and yellows and oranges of the early summer wildflowers as they rolled down a worn dirt road in an old beat up car with Ben at the wheel. The sight before her only bringing up more questions. Where were they going, or what were they doing where they could be recognized or take the comfortable royal limo? Not that she cared to be recognized. Either way, Ben was staying tight lipped about the whole thing.

"What are your impressions of the council?" Ben asked, "The actual council," he amended, "Not Phillip Dormant's rants or the spells that have been flying around recently."

"How many more days do we have to sit through it?" Mal asked, "I would much rather be researching our situation." She admitted.

Ben smiled with a short scoff. "Unfortunately, we're just getting started." He explained, though she already knew. Twelve more days until the council was called to an end for another year. "But it might be a good way to pick up some information." He suggested. "Find out who is related to who, who knows the most about promises. It's surprising how much people will open up over a plate of food." He laughed.

Mal forced a small chuckle out at his last statement, the past few times it had been food that had spelled Ben and hard. "It's surprising how much people reveal when you threaten them too." She added, thinking once again of her conversation with Meredith. Returning to her VK ways briefly had been fun.

She could see that that statement made Ben uncomfortable. "So you've been in the council a few days now." He continued as the little car picked up speed as they started down a much more smooth paved road. "And I told you your father would be there, so any guesses?" He asked, trying to keep the conversation light, but unknowingly bringing a dark cloud over them.

She tried to come up with a way to not make it all so dark and gloomy, but her words failed her. She had never been one to ease blows before. "King Arthur, which makes me a dragon twice over." She revealed and when he took his eyes from the road to briefly stare at her. "Meredith and I had a little chat after the council concluded this morning." She explained as he forced himself to look back to the road as it began to turn and wind. "And that basically complicates everything." She added, knowing she shouldn't say any more or risk ruining the date he had planned for them.

They stayed quiet after that, the winding roads surrounded by the greens and vibrant colors of the wildflowers giving way to little cottages and small shops. Maybe she had ruined the mood already.

"It doesn't really change anything." Ben admitted quietly after several minutes, merging onto a busy highway. Only to be stopped barely a hundred yards further in gridlock. "I knew you had to be some kind of illegitimate royalty based on your mother's past history. I just didn't know who until you chromosome shifted."

She scoffed, almost willing the traffic to move forward so she could get out of that conversation that much quicker. "Not only are you and I and my mother linked together in another promise," she continued, focusing on the shiny bumper of a beautifully shined muscle car, "but I'm older than you, and next in line, due to King Arthur's status as King."

Ben already knew that too it seemed. "Do you really want it?" He asked, and she could tell he was starting to get annoyed, whether it was at the traffic or not, she didn't know. "It would be so easy to pass it over. You could rule and I'll build myself a little cabin in the forest reading all the books I can get my hands on." He continued, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, not quite looking at her. "And the one time price would be a single kiss."

"Do you want to deal with my mother for six years?" Mal answered back, trying to keep the anger out of her words, but being unsuccessful. "Undermining everything your father has worked on for the last twenty years?" He didn't even have to answer. "Then keep those lips away from me."

They stayed silent for a few minutes after that, the cars all moving forward mere inches at a time. "There's something else, isn't there?" Ben asked, his voice soft and careful.

Curse him for being so observant.

"I'm not sure how comfortable I am with kissing my cousin on summer solstice." Mal lied. It was partly the truth, but she was more concerned with the love spell that she had used on him, the same one her mother had used on King Arthur.

"Your cousin?" Ben asked, then he broke into laughter. "You think we're cousins?" He asked, almost as if it was the funniest thing in the world, being trapped in a dead stop gridlock in the heat of summer, the weight of several promises hanging over them.

"Your mom is Arthur's great great grandniece." Mal explained, "Making you my third or fourth cousin."

Ben looked over to her, his blue eyes meeting her green ones, his bright face barely dimmed by the brim of the newsie hat. "Only by marriage." He told her once he stopped laughing. "My great great great grandmother Portia was Guinevere's sister. So we're technically fourth cousins, but only by marriage."

Even Mal laughed at that. "Royal family lineages are so fucked up." She said as the traffic began to move at a faster pace.

"Tell me about it." Ben answered, easing his foot from the brake. "I'll show you the tapestry of my entire line back to the 1200s, that should put you to sleep for the night." She laughed and he took her hand. "Though I would rather be with my fourth cousin than my second cousin." He admitted with a smile.

"You and Audrey?" Mal asked, thankful he hadn't realized there was something else on her mind. She would talk about Audrey, if it distracted her from thinking about the love spell that might not truly be broken over Ben.

"Great Grandpa Rudolf." Ben explained, "King of what is now Charmington, and quite the lady killer with four wives, supposedly sixteen concubines and enough children to run a small country." He said, almost as if he were quoting from the history books.

From there, they began talking about Ben's lineage and how many generations back he could remember off the top of his head. Mal listened, finding that her worries seemed to melt away the longer Ben spoke about his great uncle Artemis the Goat farmer who married Princess Fiora.

She found herself thinking about his future lines and not even meaning to do so. Especially if he was still spelled.

* * *

Mal knew when they were getting close because Ben had her close her eyes again, even when they were still on the highway. It must have been some big secret if he was having her close her eyes so soon.

She felt the car start to slow and resisted opening her eyes. She knew he was taking her somewhere, probably a stuffy restaurant where they would have nothing to talk about, or a movie where they wouldn't have the chance to talk at all. Something mundane and boring, she was sure, but she kept her eyes closed.

She couldn't help thinking of the love spell she had cast on Ben. The same one her mother had used on her father. She had reversed it herself, on Ben, even though the lake had supposedly washed it away, but perhaps it still lingered.

Why else would Ben still have such strong feelings for her?

Why would he still have those same strong feelings after her consistent mess ups in the castle and after he had seen her go full faerie?

Why would he be so nice after he had seen the true her and the time from the spell being broken, both by the lake, and her brownie?

Just what the hell was in that cookie?!

What the hell had happened to her that she continued to believe that she was falling in love with him, a most likely still spelled moron?

Mal shook that thought from her head as Ben parked the car, the gears in the old car grinding harshly. She kept her eyes closed, as he had instructed, even though she knew he was probably doing everything still under the damned love spell.

"We're here." Ben told her gently, taking the hand that was closest to him and kissing it gently, making her jump. "Usually when I come here, I go by Sam." He explained, even though she didn't know where "here" was, but that made her suspicious. "Well that's what the Credit card says anyway." He added before she felt him let go of her hand and get out of the car.

There was a few seconds of delay before Mal heard the door open next to her and felt the warm sunlight against her skin. He helped her out of the car and led her several steps forward then stopped her. "Open your eyes." He whispered almost directly behind her, the warmth of his breath tickling her bare neck, her hand still in his.

She opened her eyes to find herself in a courtyard, exquisitely kept up, not a tile, nor a topiary out of place. So she had been right about a restaurant.

Above them, in the lattices, were perfectly manicured flowers and ivy, blocking out just enough sunlight for the area to be considered shady, the bright pinks and purples and yellows of the petals creating a very romantic aisle into whatever the building happened to be. Mal hoped for a cute little cafe, but knowing Ben it was probably a snooty five star restaurant.

"Where are we?" Mal asked, taking in all of the topiaries shaped like animals and the cute little stone benches around the small waterfall. It didn't seem too bad yet.

"Charlie's birthday is coming up." Ben explained, not moving from behind her, "And I thought we could make an afternoon out of it." She could tell he was choosing his words carefully. "This is the mall in Summertown." He continued, and she tried not to pull a face at the word "mall". That was more Evie's domain.

It was as if he knew her feelings toward malls. "There's supposedly a great art shop in there somewhere." He continued, "And we can avoid all of the prissy pink shops if you want."

He was really trying to get her to agree to go in with him. "Alright." Mal agreed. "I'll go in, for Charlie." She added. "And if we are to find this supposed art shop, I will go in, but I don't want you to buy anything for me." She told him.

If he was under a love spell still, it was cruel to have him do little things for her, like buying art supplies and other cute things. It was time to set some limits until she knew it was completely broken.

Ben seemed disappointed by that as he pulled her toward the entrance. "Alright." Ben agreed. "But no five finger discounts either. I can't get you out of that as Sam." He reminded her, straightening his hat with his free hand, then pulling his sunglasses off to replace them with a pair of thick framed glasses.

"So tell me about Sam." Mal suggested as they walked into the air conditioned mall with about a million shops with cute little signs and about a thousand people. She gripped his hand as they walked down the long hallway. "This is my first date with him after all." She added giving him a little smile before she removed her sunglasses. "And so far he seems like a real nerd." She teased.

"I am Samuel James Murphy." He said, as if he truly believed it himself. "Though everyone here knows me as Sam." He continued as he directed them to a huge toy store with a bright yellow sign and at least four exclamation points. "I enjoy buying toys for my sister Charlie and frequent the history section of the bookstore. Occasionally the garden supply on the rooftop." He explained. "Though, usually by myself." He added.

"You sound like a nerd." Mal repeated with a smirk.

"And who might you be?" He asked with a smirk as they entered the toy store to see miles and miles of shelves lined with several explosions of colors and shapes. "It's not often I go out on a date with someone I just met."

She tried not to roll her eyes too much. Love spell or not, he was still so damn cute. "My name is Penelope." She said, "but if you call me Penny or any other cutsie nickname, you better watch your back." She saw him smile at that. "My friends call me Nel."

He laughed at that. "Nice to meet you." He told her, "but you should know, I don't kiss on the first date." He smiled a cheeky smile, his glasses getting slightly displaced as he did.

She looked around the massive toyshop. "So where do we start?" She asked, looking toward the pink corner where she knew they would be heading eventually.

"What was your favorite toy as a kid?" He asked her.

She looked up at him, about to remind him that she grew up in the isle, but then stopped. "My mother never let me play with toys." She admitted. "It was all reading and studying."

Ben kept the smile on his face. "We're going to have some fun then." He said, pulling her toward the display stocked with RC cars, his smile taking a wicked turn.

So much for setting limits.

* * *

Jane had avoided Mal and the other VKs whenever she could. She wouldn't say she was scared, more like apprehensive, careful around the VKs. She had been told their parents stories as bedtime stories, their failures as warnings if she stepped a toe out of line. Hanging out with them would be considered out of line if her mother ever found out.

She had spent her time so far at the council studying for next year's honor courses and hanging out with Lonnie and Audrey and Chad when they got together after the council let out.

That afternoon, she was skimming through an aged history book, studying through what she knew would be on the syllabus next year. Most of the information she already knew, everyone did, but she still took notes.

Until a pleasing melody came to her ears, filling her with the undeniable urge to chase it and find where it was originating from. If not to find out the cause, then to shut it up so she could continue studying. That valedictorian spot was so hers come senior year.

The melody pulled her out of the library, only getting louder as she headed for the west wing and the chambers after a few flights of stairs. It seemed the loudest from the door at the far end of the hall, shrouded in mystery.

Jane knew it was someone's bedroom, especially with all of the guests staying at the summer castle for the council, but she needed to know where the music was coming from and who was able to produce such a beautiful melody. So she opened the door with a shaking hand to find it completely empty, but the music loud as ever. She took a few steps in to look around and found the familiar plastic cage on the window sill, the black lizard lounging lazily in the sunlight.

The music stopped. "Hello Child." Maleficent's voice came from the small lizard and Jane just stared, fear keeping her frozen where she stood. "I was hoping you would come visit me soon." She continued, slithering to the tallest part of her cage to get a better look it seemed.

Jane stood frozen, her heart beating loud in her ears. Why would the Mistress of Evil, the villainess she was most afraid of want to see her? "M-me?" She asked, her voice shaking, her knees doing the same.

"Yes, child." Maleficent cooed, "I see a potential in you." Jane stared, blinking a few times in surprise. "The melody that brought you to me is one that only strong faeries can hear. I've been singing it for days and even my own daughter hasn't heard the call." She lamented. "Nor your mother" she added.

Jane stared in awe. Only she had heard the melody that strong faeries hear? How was that even possible. She hadn't even studied magic a day in her life. "Why me?" She asked.

Maleficent just smiled. "The most powerful magic perseveres even when it is stamped out." She explained. "Help me and I will make your magic stronger than your mother's."

Jane froze. "I don't know." She answered, "Mom says that magic isn't everything and that it's dangerous." Her mother had been telling her that since she could remember. Never one magical lesson in her life.

"She told you that to keep you frightened." Maleficent explained. "She doesn't want you to surpass her in skill and power. My mother told me the same thing and look at what I became." She turned to stare right at Jane, capturing her eyes and gazing into her soul. "Think of all of the amazing things you could do, what you could become. Let me help you, Child." She said, "All I ask is that you help me first."

Valedictorian. Beautiful. The most popular girl at Auradon Prep, surpassing Audrey. Any date from any boy or girl she wanted. Love and acceptance from her peers.

"What can I do?" Jane asked.

Maleficent crawled up the cage side with a wide wicked smile. "Lift the latch, Child." She said, "And listen closely."

Jane lifted the latch with shaking fingers, then from there, everything went black.


	33. Chapter 33

_Sorry for the late update everyone! There are just a few chapters left and I am so excited for you all to find out what happens next. Please bear with me as the posting schedule may get screwy! Thank you for all of your lovely reviews and follows! You are all amazing!_

"Avast ye scurvy dog!" Ben, as Sam, shouted, jumping out from behind a display of pirate costumes, brandishing a foam sword, making Mal laugh. "I challenge ye to a sword fight!" He told her with his best pirate impression and then presenting her with a foam sword.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Mal asked, holding the sword out in front of her, her stance loose, everything she had learned from the Hook sisters coming to her mind as she stared Ben down in his perfectly proper fencing pose. "I did learn from actual pirates." Well technically.

"So let's settle a long time argument," Ben suggested, swinging the foam sword nonchalantly. "Who is better at sword fighting, fencers or pirates?"

"First with the kill wins?" Mal asked, watching him carefully. Ben nodded and she swung the sword through the air with ease. It was much lighter than the clunky rusty cutlass she had been taught with on the isle.

She made the first blow, which he parried with his sword, swinging them both down and apart with one fluid motion, a smile on his face. She jabbed forward and he jumped back, swinging his sword forward to counter her. She dodged it, and stepped forward, aiming a well placed strike to his neck, but he blocked her, trapping their swords together once again.

"You're good," He told her, pushing her back with the swords still intertwined, her footwork matching his almost perfectly. "But I'm better," He bragged, his smile once again wicked, as he backed her into a display of teddy bears dressed as knights and princesses. He brought the sword to her chest.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked, looking down at the sword between his elbow and his side. He made a big show of groaning, though he continued to smile. "At least you didn't bet anything," She continued.

"Like what?" He asked, leaning closer "A kiss?" He suggested, raising his eyebrows before he pulled the sword away.

"Or your kingdom," She added, moving from the display and past him.

He chased after her. "I think your mother pretty much has that covered," He continued. "Though I am close to finding a solution to our kisstastrophe."

Mal rolled her eyes. "You Auradonian kids and your murder of the English language!" She lamented.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward a display of hula hoops. "Some of them can get out of hand," He agreed, "but I thought kisstastrophe was kind of cute." He handed her a hula hoop, pink just to spite her, she was sure. "I'm about to show you how I perfected those dance moves at the tourney game," He told her.

She couldn't help but laugh, thinking of how he had reminded her of Elvis with his hips. Though she had no idea what that had to do with the circular plastic. Then Ben stepped in the middle of it and spun it around his hips, gyrating and keeping it in place.

She felt a smile pulling at the edges of her lips and she tried to keep it in, trying to remind herself that he was most likely still under the powerful love spell. She tried to keep it in, her face just pleasantly surprised at the dexterity of Ben's hips, but he saw it.

"Little Nel," he began with a smile. "Is that a smile I see you trying to hide?" He asked. "Are you trying to hide your true joy at the innocence of childhood?" He asked, "Or are you thinking dirty thoughts about my hips?"

"Be-" she started, but then remembered he went by another name. "Samuel James!" She exclaimed remembering his other name. "We are in a children's store!"

"You totally were!" He exclaimed, calling her out, the hula hoop still moving around his hips. "I can't blame you though," He continued. "I would find myself pretty attractive too." He lost the momentum and the hoop fell to the tiled floor. "Your turn," He told her and she tried not to show her disdain.

"Call me Little Nel again and I'll show you how attractive you won't be!" She threatened with a small smirk, stepping into the hoop as he had and setting it in motion only to have it fall down.

She could see Ben trying not to laugh and how cute it was when he covered his amused smile. "We are so buying one of those," Ben said through his fingers.

"Aren't we supposed to be here for Charlie?" Mal asked after it had fallen down again.

"But you're so cute trying out everything," Ben admitted. "And I have yet to make it worth it." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. "But you are starting to go purple again," He told her, twisting a finger around her bangs and pulling it down to show her.

"A purple streak is cool," She answered. "People will think I'm cool, like that Mal chick the new king is most likely banging." Teasing him was definitely fun. "Though I don't think purple will go so well with the Royal Blues and yellows," She said, getting a little too into character.

"Between you and me," Ben responded as he pulled her toward yet another display, getting closer to the pink area with the dolls every time and wrapping his arm around her waist. "I don't think the king cares about color schemes and I think he's a perfect gentleman when they go out."

She laughed. "Come on Sam," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's obvious who wears the pants in that relationship," She continued. "She love spelled him and there's obviously still something there if he sees anything in her." She stopped, trying to cover up that she had said too much.

Oops.

Ben stayed quiet for a few minutes as they wandered the aisles of toys and games toward the pinker section of the store. "Would it be such a bad thing if he had those feelings without a spell?" He asked and Mal stared at him as they stopped walking, standing in the middle of the book aisle. The aura around them completely changed. "Mal," he whispered, "If you're not happy, I-"

She clamped her hand over his mouth. " I never said I wasn't happy," She answered. "I just don't want all of this to be because of the remnants of a love spell," She admitted.

"It's not." Ben said, pulling her hand from his mouth gently. "All royals know when they're being spelled." He explained. "So how could I be spelled if I don't know it?" He asked. "And even if it is a spell, or what's left of one." He continued, pulling her closer, his voice barely a whisper in her ear, "I was attracted to you before you spelled me." He caught her eye, and she felt a shiver run down her spine like an electric shock. "I meant what I said on the way to the coronation. I don't fake things and you know I can't lie to save my life." He brushed his thumb across her cheek as her vision blurred with tears threatening to fall.

She kept telling herself she never cried. Yet she had been the one to provide the tear to break the love spell. She had cried over Ben once, but never again.

Is that what love is? Risking everything and knowing you could get hurt with a pain worse than death, but doing it anyway? Was it gambling pleasure over pain?

"You're worried because of Arthur's spell aren't you?" He asked after several long seconds.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Mal answered, it was a strange conversation to be having in a toy store, her eyes focusing on a cheery faced chipmunk in the cover of one of the books behind Ben. She still had to be careful. "It's the same spell I used on you. It's obviously stronger than I thought."

"It washed away in the lake," He told her, "and you gave me the antidote in that brownie." He continued. "If there's any aspect left, it's minimal." He assured her. "I love you, Mal, and if I have to spend the rest of my life convincing you that it's me and not a love spell, then I will."

She felt a small smile twitch at the corner of her lips. "I know you do," She answered quietly, "and I know it's the evilest thing in the world for me to keep you waiting, but I need to know it's real before I say it back."

Ben smiled. "I can accept that," He said, taking her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. "And if you're going to unspell me with more bakery treats, let me know. I've really got a hankering for a good eclair."

She laughed too. "Can we get out of here and explore?" She asked, the prospect of an art store urging her forward.

"Your wish is my command." He said, his signature Ben smile shining through the facade of Sam.

* * *

If he had thought watching her eat a jelly donut was cute, watching her eat an eclair was even cuter. He had neglected to tell her that it was filled with custard and she had cut into it, expecting just a pastry, only to find the filling leaking out onto her plate. She looked up at him in surprise, her purple bangs obscuring her eyes partly as she did.

He reached across the table and brushed them out of her eyes gently. "It's good," he told her, noting how her hair had become more purple in just a few short minutes. "Though once we leave this small cafe, you might want to fix your hair." He suggested, "Unless you want the press to think we're on the rocks and you're dating other guys."

The cafe was small and pretty empty, especially with a Swashbucklers Coffeehouse across the way. The ambient light made her hair look more mauve than purple, her eyes catching the light and making her that much more stunning sitting across from him, sampling the eclair between them.

She laughed and he found himself wanting to keep her laughing and happy and light. "Are we on the rocks?" She asked, her eyes catching his and nearly making him jump, "I mean I am on a date with Sam." She gave him a smirk, "You had better be careful, or King Ben might banish you to the isle."

"Or," Ben answered, "He might honor me with a national holiday for giving his girlfriend an afternoon with no cameras, no press and no expectations."

"He could do that." Mal answered, nabbing another bite of the eclair, "but I don't think so, he seems kind of full of himself." She continued with a short laugh.

"I've heard the only thing he cares more about than himself is his girlfriend." Ben answered, trying to keep his voice steady "I heard that he would follow her anywhere, even give up the crown for her and they haven't even kissed."

Mal rolled her eyes. "He's obviously still touched by the love spell in some way." She answered. "Her mother is the Queen of all things evil. There has to be some kind of deception than maybe even she realizes."

Ben sipped his coffee, trying to come up with a response to her claim. Just watching her argue with him was an experience. The way her cheeks bounced between her words and a smirk and the way she teased him made his heart swell with love and the undeniable urge to kiss her across the table.

"I'm going to go fix this disaster." Mal spoke, standing from the small booth and pointing to her hair. She had left him half of the eclair, the fork pointed daintily to indicate she had finished. He ached as she walked away toward the small washroom around the corner.

Things hadn't been that way with Audrey. Not even close, not even at all. He hadn't figured out if it was because Audrey was such a proper princess and never stepped a toe out of line, or if he had never really had those kinds of feelings for her. It had mostly been a relationship out of duty, to his family, to the crown and to save himself.

With Mal it was almost too easy to be himself, be with her, be in love. Before the love spell, he had dreamed about her, and actually meeting her, touching just her hand had set something in motion within him.

His reputation had been riding on their success at Auradon Prep, but there was more to his visits to her locker than just checking up on her and his reputation. The other VKs had been interesting enough, but she, the girl from his dreams, was like a ray of sunshine peeking through on a cloudy day after weeks of rain. She, seeing her and chatting with her, even if it was just little things like signing her up for art class or her classes, was like coming up for air after spending months drowning.

And that was all before the cookie that had made him say and do crazy things for her.

After, well nothing has really changed, besides his urge to make an ass of himself and pledge his kingdom for her kiss.

He was sure whatever his feelings were, it wasn't under the influence of any spell. He just had to find a way to show her that.

Was her self esteem that low that she thought someone could only love her while under a love spell? Then he remembered who her mother was and where she had grown up. There has to be some way to show her that she was worthy of love, that he really loved her without a spell or potion making him do it.

"Ben!" Mal whispered, pulling himself from his thoughts, sliding into the booth next to him and putting her hand to his forehead. "Are you alright?" She asked, her concern almost genuine. "You never leave bakery treats only half eaten!"

He laughed, then shoved the remainder of the eclair in his mouth, trying to show her that he hadn't been deep in thought, or distracted by thoughts of her. He could feel the custard filling that had leaked out on his lips and she to keep a straight face as he chewed, her hair once again the light chestnut with not a trace of purple.

"You know that moment you asked me to tell you about?" She asked quietly, her eyes focused on his gooey mouth and he could see her trying to keep the smile in. "It's now." She admitted, letting the smile cross her cheeks as she handed him a napkin.

 _Don't smile like an idiot!_ He thought to himself _don't smile like an idiot!_

Too late.

She laughed. "So very regal." She said, wiping his mouth herself with the napkin. "Such a waste of good custard," She lamented, "and so not making me want to kiss you."

He swallowed the large bite. "But you would kiss the king?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "You do seem to have an obsession with him, Little Nel." He added, trying his luck with the nickname again.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Where is this art store you have been telling me about?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"It's on our list of places to visit." Ben assured her. "but you have to be patient." He said, bopping her on the nose gently and noting the cute little smile it caused. "We have the entire rest of the day and all night if we want it." He said, "And I am keeping a smile tally."

"A what?" Mal asked as he pulled her from the cafe.

"A smile tally," He repeated. "How many times I make you smile on our date."

"You are a huge nerd!" Mal exclaimed as he pulled her toward a little kiosk in the middle with little trinkets.

"Admit it, you're having fun," He answered, pulling a pair of ridiculous sunglasses from the display.

She didn't have to say it out loud, he could see it all over her face, though she was trying to hide it behind her neutral face.

He had no doubts he would make her smile again though.


	34. Chapter 34

Mal stared in awe at the sheer amount of music in one place. She had seen her mother's old record collection, most of them broken beyond playing on the crank record player, but nothing as huge as the music store selection. She could help but smile as she tried to take in every detail she could, from the shirts and small knickknacks that lined the outer walls to the rows and rows of CDs.

It was a beautiful sight, even if she didn't like music as much as Evie or Jay did.

"Come here," Ben told her, a smile across his cheeks. "I bet I can find you music you'll like." He told her, as they began walking down the aisle closest to them, her attention being pulled in several directions. He sat her down at one of the listening stations and handed her the pair of large headphones. "Put those on and stay here." He told her gently.

She slipped them over her ears and waited in the complete silence they provided. The quiet hum the only sound in her ears for several seconds, until a soft melody and a strong female vocalist began singing. She looked up to Ben as the song built up more and more, and he gave her a thumbs up.

She shrugged. And he gave her the finger to wait. In a split second, the song changed, a slow ballad that Evie had absolutely loved after she had heard it at the Spring dance. She had heard it so many times she gave it an instant thumbs down.

The song changed yet again.

A low female voice with a soft guitar that only began to build. He gave her a thumbs up and she nodded shortly. The song wasn't bad. Then she watched him roam the shelves again.

He came back right as the song was ending, and he set her up with another song almost instantly.

It started with a slight piano trill and she almost instantly vetoed it. Piano was nice, but not really her style, then the rhythm hit and she decided to try it. She gave him the thumbs up and Ben sat next to her, pulling a pair of headphones too and listening along.

"I didn't expect them to be that good," He admitted and she heard the low hum of his voice next to her. "The cover just looked cool." He admitted, taking her hand and listening as the song continued to build.

They sat there and listened to nearly the whole album, their hands intertwined as they shared the bench. She focused on the screen before her, watching the colorful visualization sad the album played on, but she could feel his gaze on her occasionally, usually right after a sappy lyric.

He had to be under a love spell still, even if it was just a slight influence. No one on the island, not even Anthony Tremaine, would try so hard to impress her, try so hard to get her approval. No one else would want to kiss her so much on summer solstice or even at all.

The love spell had been a means to an end. Make him fall in love with her, make him want her to be his girlfriend, get her closer to the wand to take over the world.

And then she had realized that she liked how he had made her feel, that she liked being in love- if that was what love was, she still wasn't sure- and then family day came along and she reminded herself they were evil, the spawn of their parents. That Ben could never truly love her if he wasn't spelled.

She thought he had proved her wrong, on the way to the coronation, giving her the strength she needed to defeat her mother and choose good, but the more she looked back on the nearly two months since the coronation, the more she realized she had been wrong.

Some of his actions, the promises he had made, his actions at the reunion ball, and his actions in the council so far, had to only be products of the love spell.

Full faerie, fangs, horns and all, usually revolted people, made them zombies trying to attack her for the one wish she could provide them, the magic she could give them if they caught her. But Ben had protected her and not asked for anything magical, not one single thing.

He has fought for her through the morality trial and through the council.

He had told her over and over again that he would give up his kingdom and his reign for her, just to follow her if she wished to escape the royal life.

There was no way he wasn't still spelled, even though he didn't think he was, she knew he had to be somehow and with him so close, she knew she could probably loosen the hold over him, or even break it.

She squeezed his hand hard as the album continued to play on. He looked to her and gave her a little smile.

She smiled back, though she feared what would happen once it was completely broken.

 _This heart I bound,_

 _With my dark spell,_

 _Set it free and make_

 _It well._

Ben squeezed her hand back, the sound of the album in her ears, but she focused on breaking the spell. The words nearly imprinted on her brain from the last time she had tried it, though she knew she had to specifically tailor it to their moment in the music store.

 _Break the chains that make_

 _It mine,_

 _So that love's true light_

 _May shine._

That was her mother's spell, and one that she had probably never used. Mal decided to make it her own.

 _When the music_

 _Is finally through_

 _The only feelings remaining_

 _Will be perfectly true._

Then she repeated it in her head until the last song of the album played and the visualization a on the screen before her stopped and the music faded away, leaving silence in her ears and between them.

Ben stared at her, something different in his eyes, and she did feel the magic shift just slightly between them. So he had still been under a love spell like she had suspected.

He still smiled and that put her at ease a little, though she knew there was no way he could still have such intense feelings for her. He liked to hide his true feelings behind a smile like she did. He removed the headphones and stood.

"What shall we listen to next?" He asked, "Something like that, or completely different?"

"Let me choose the next one," Mal answered, removing her own headphones and watching him for any other shifts. If she left him alone, it would give him a chance to come to terms with his true feelings and run if he wished. She slipped the headphones back over his ears and escaped to the sections of CDs, taking her time going through each of the titles with careful deliberation, giving him time to escape once reality hit him.

When she turned back to the listening station to find Ben gone, it was like a weight had dropped from her shoulders. She took a deep breath, almost like a sigh of relief, though her heart felt heavy.

So he had still been under a love spell. And she had finally set him free after two months of bliss, absolutely none of it real.

 _If you love someone, set them free._

That was a sappy saying somewhere, right? So was:

 _It's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all._

But it didn't feel that way to her. She felt like crying again, but sealed her emotions away staring at the CDs she had chosen just for their cover art. She might as well listen to a few of them while she waited for Evie to come pick her up. She pulled out her phone to text Evie, but the shop owner caught her attention first.

"Oi, Girly!" He said, calling her to the counter. "I prolly shouldn't tell ya this, but yer boy headed over to Dwarves and Sons across the way."

Dwarves and Sons. She had heard that name before. Doug's uncles owned it, and Evie went on and on about their precious gems in their- "The jeweler?" She asked, not even wanting to complete that thought.

"Aye," The owner answered in the affirmative and Mal moved toward the door to get a better look, ready to run to him. The spell was supposed to be broken, not intensified. "Oi girly!" The shop owner continued. "Are ya plannin on buyin those?"

She looked down at the stack of CDs as she caught a glimpse of Ben standing at the counter conversing with one of the snazzy dressed salesman behind the counters. Maybe he was looking just in case. Or maybe he remembered he loved Audrey and was supposed to propose to her at the end of the summer. "I'm going to listen to them first," She decided, trying to cover up her fear. Ben didn't have to know she knew.

She moved back to the listening station and tried not to bite her fingernails in anxiousness, or spell nearby objects with her nervous spells.

Had the spell worked or not?

* * *

Ben found her sitting at the listening station, a new album in the headphones, her posture and her face changed, her index finger in her mouth, her eyes on the floor. She was deep in thought and seemed to be freaking out.

Could she know?

Or had she just thought she had lost him?

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and she practically jumped from the bench, the headphones ripping from her ears, her hand at his throat, until she realized it was him. It was not the face he expected to see upon his return.

She was almost sad, remorseful.

He knew she had spelled him with something, but he hadn't been able to tell what it was. It hadn't seemed to last very long, just a quick jolt of reality, like first diving into a cold pool, and then everything had been the same. He wanted to know what she thought she was doing, but he knew that was definitely not the place to ask her.

"Do you want to get out of here?" He asked gently, his concern not very well hidden, but he didn't care. She had to know that he knew she had spelled him again, right? The green box from Dwarves and Sons seeming almost like a heavy weight in his jacket pocket. "We still have to hit the art store." He reminded her, hoping it would make her smile again.

"Sure," she answered, ignoring his hand to help her up and brushing past him. She was most likely mad at him for scaring her into thinking he had disappeared, like their first date at the enchanted lake.

He gave a quick wave to the owner of the music store and followed Mal out into the walkway, taking her hand and gently pulling her the opposite way. "The art store is this way," He told her gently, carefully. "I'm sorry I disappeared." He continued when she let go of his hand and trudged a few steps forward. She was definitely mad at him.

He sighed, catching up to her and matching her strides down the walkway. "You're more than just angry that I disappeared," He realized. She couldn't know, could she?

She gave him her characteristic Mal eye roll even though she didn't look quite as Mal as he was used to. "I don't want to talk about it," She said quietly, turning her attention to the walkway before her, trying to avoid people, him included.

He pulled her toward a secluded bench. "I want to talk about it," He told her, sitting her down with perhaps more force than he should have. He sat down next to her. "I know you spelled me with something," he said, holding her hands in his, catching her eyes, the one part of her that was still completely Mal. "But it didn't work." She stared at him. "Do you want to tell me what it was?" He asked.

"Not particularly," Mal answered. "Do you want to tell me where you disappeared to?" She asked.

"All I can say is you'll know in a few days," He answered, "And if you were trying to break the love spell, it didn't work, because there is no love spell," He told her quietly, knowing that had to have been what she did.

Just by her reaction, he knew that was what she had tried to do. She was so concerned with the spell that it had been worrying her for the entire date it seemed. She kept her mouth shut and he brushed his fingers across her chin.

"If you're so concerned that I'm still spelled under an unbreakable spell," he started after a few seconds of silence between them, "Then use your first kiss to break it." He leaned closer to her, almost as if he was going to kiss her. "When I kiss you on Summer Solstice, break any spells I have over me." It wasn't the most desirable solution, but maybe it wouldn't become a huge disaster. In a roundabout way, it would work, he guessed.

"That's two days away," She reminded him darkly, avoiding his eyes though he physically held her there.

He knew that. "I didn't tell you?" He asked, a smile pulling at his cheeks. "I found a solution." Her eyes landed on him, holding about a thousand questions, her face softening just slightly.

"You couldn't possibly have found a solution before I did!" Mal answered, "With the council and all of the meetings and everything." She stared at him, "Are you just telling me what I want to hear so I won't stay mad at you?" She asked.

"No," He answered, "I really found a solution," He continued, though really he had weeks earlier, it just took him a while to realize it. "But you have to be patient and wait until summer solstice," He continued, knowing that would torture her as she had been torturing him for weeks.

"I can wait for weeks," Mal answered, "You're the one that gets all handsy and weird," She reminded him with the first smile in a while.

"I think you secretly like it when I get handsy and weird," Ben answered, not able to stop smiling. "I think once we can kiss, you'll beg me to continue being handsy," He told her in a quiet whisper, pulling her closer to him and wrapping his arms around her.

"Do you really think you found the solution?" Mal asked against his chest after they sat watching people walk by for several minutes. He hummed an affirmative response against her. "Did the spell really not work?" She asked next.

"Nope," He answered shortly. "It started to do something and then everything was back to normal," He explained. "I think you got distracted," He teased. "Thinking about my lips, I'm guessing?" He asked.

She hit him gently. "So where is this art store you have been telling me about?" She asked, trying to change the subject, but he knew he had caught her in at least a part truth. "And what are we going to do after that?" She continued, untangling herself from him.

"Patience," He told her. "And I don't know what we're doing after that," He admitted, "but we have a car and a credit card and just about a million possibilities." Then he stood and offered her his hand.

That time she took it.

* * *

Nearly an hour and a half later, Ben and Mal left the mall and headed back to the small car, walking hand in hand.

"Are you up for another adventure?" Ben asked as they reached the car and he opened the passenger door for her. "Or would you rather go back to the castle?"

Mal laughed. "Difficult choice there, Bennyboo." She climbed in, missing using the nickname when he had to be Sam. "Back to the castle where there are about a thousand people all wanting your time and company, or another adventure where I can have you all to myself? What do you think?" She said, catching his eyes behind the thick glasses.

"Another adventure it is," Ben answered, "but don't read too much into it." He closed the door gently and moved around to the driver's side starting the car and leaving the parking lot.

"Let me guess," Mal spoke as they turned onto the street, "You want me to close my eyes."

Ben laughed. "Not yet," He said, "I was actually going to ask if you could go back to purple." They stopped at a stoplight and he pulled off the newsboy hat. "Since where we're going we don't have to be anyone but ourselves."

"Are you sure you don't like the-" she started, then stopped, "whatever color this is?" She asked.

"I don't like it as much as I love the purple." He rolled down the windows and turned on the air conditioning.

"If you say so," Mal answered, pulling the knot from the bandana and feeling her own customary purple fringe return to her face. "So this adventure," she continued, taking in all of the cars and the people outside on the summer day. "Any hints?"

She turned toward Ben, his honey blond hair blowing in the breeze. He took her free hand in his, keeping one hand on the wheel. "Let's just say I'm really good at knowing about places that not a lot of people know about."

She couldn't help but think about their last few dates and the secrets he had shown her.


	35. Chapter 35

Places that not a lot of people know about was right, though it didn't seem like it at first. They had parked in a nearly full parking lot, almost having to make a sixth loop before another car left and they parked. Then Ben pulled a rucksack onto his back and began leading her down a walking path with several other people in several types of clothing, from casual to workout. Mal felt they were almost overdressed, but no one seemed to care, or even notice who they were.

Ben stopped her at a seemingly unexciting marker, looking around to make sure there was no one coming either way. He seemed to cringe as a jogger came around the corner with a stroller looking like her energy was flagging and she wanted to take the nearby bench.

He threw her arms around his shoulders and gripped her hips tightly. "PDA makes people uncomfortable," He whispered against her cheek, holding her tight to him. "I promise I will be as good as I can, but I need you to moan."

She wished she had time to ask more questions, but then his breath ghosted across her neck and her collarbone and the jogger with the stroller got closer she knew she had to make it convincing, though she had no idea why.

She moaned loudly and felt his hands tighten against her waist, his lips making contact with her neck just briefly, enough to make her moan again, that time for real, her hands moving into Ben's hair and tangling her fingers in the small curls at the back of his neck.

She didn't miss the disgusted look the jogger made as she passed them, clearly offended by their very public display of affection and continuing on down the path.

"No one is coming from the other way, right?" He asked, straightening up from her neck, his eyes deeper and softer than she had seen them for a while.

"Nope," She answered, as he untangled himself from her, but kept ahold of her hand.

He pulled her from the path over the fence and through the thick ivy to reveal another less traveled path through the thick underbrush. She could tell that they couldn't be seen from the walking trail, but she was sure they could be heard, especially as Ben put a finger to his lips.

They walked with slow deliberate footsteps through the underbrush for a few hundred feet toward what looked like a huge shaded tree where the path forked in several directions. Ben kept her hand in his, and she couldn't help looking at him, watching him. What the hell had that been and how the hell did he know it would make her react in that way?

They continued down the path after they reached the large tree, but their footsteps became less deliberate, more loud, the underbrush crunching under their feet as they continued forward.

"Where are we going?" Mal asked, her voice still quiet, not sure she wanted Ben to look at her with those deep eyes again, the ones that communicated pure desire unless he wrapped his arms around her again.

"You'll see," Ben answered with a smile, giving her a quick look back, then continuing down the path.

"Can we talk about whatever that was back there?" Mal asked after a minute or two of walking, watching Ben carefully. Something had changed since that moment with the jogger, but she couldn't pinpoint it through the awkwardness and the silence between them.

"Something that started out as a distraction and became something else," He answered, turning back to her, his smile wicked. "And a realization that I'm not the only one who gets handsy," He continued.

"Is that complaining I hear?" Mal asked, "After I saved your secret from a winded jogger?" She continued, poking a little fun at him.

He laughed. "Not complaining," He answered, "More like teasing," He decided. "It took you all of about two seconds to go from cool as a cucumber to handsy and weird and the only spell you were under was my lips against your neck."

She chuckled. "I could probably get the same response from you," she answered back, thinking about how her fake moan had made him react, "but you just have to be patient and wait until after summer solstice."

"That's two days away," Ben reminded her. "After two months of waiting, I think I can last two more days," He answered, gripping her hand tighter and pulling her closer. "Close your eyes," He whispered into her hair.

"Can't you ever surprise me with my eyes open?" She lamented as he led her forward.

"I could," He decided, leading her forward with deliberate steps, "but you're just so cute when you see the surprises after opening your eyes," He told her. "You give me this look and I just- I know I'm where I'm meant to be," He admitted.

She could feel the blush come to her cheeks. For the first time she decided to really believe that it was Ben himself and not a love spell that made him say those things. Her spell to break it hadn't been strong enough to break it, it seemed, or maybe there was nothing there to break. "I'm going to find some way to surprise you one of these days," She responded, "Even though you already have everything," She added.

He laughed. "Not everything," He answered, "but pretty close." He stopped them. "Open your eyes," He told her.

She opened her eyes to see a small cabin, barely standing after the years of weather abuse it seemed, under the shade of a large tree. She turned to him with a small smile.

"I half expected a lake and a picnic basket," She told him quietly with a little wicked smile. "Let me guess, this is your parents little getaway for when things in the kingdom get hectic."

"Sort of," Ben answered with a little shrug. "It was actually the cabin my grandfather Maurice built for my grandmother Anne when they became engaged and he brought her over from what was then England," He explained.

"He built it?" Mal asked, "with his bare hands?" She continued staring at the little cabin, as she did the math of how many years it had had to be there.

Ben nodded, pulling her forward. "My mom used to make us come every summer, just the four of us, to remind us that we weren't always royalty." He pulled her up onto the porch, "Well so she and I wouldn't forget that she had grown up a peasant."

He opened the door roughly, as it stuck to the baseboard, the dust billowing around the room, the little cabin undisturbed for months, possibly even years. Even with all the dust, it was a cute little cabin, with barely enough room to fit all of the necessities inside. Just the bare necessities inside, a small kitchen area, a bed behind a tattered curtain and a dining room table were the only large items, the shelves stocked with pots and pans and all kinds of utensils used to cook.

"It's been a few years since we've been back," Ben lamented, brushing a few cobwebs from the eaves he could reach. "But since Grandpa can't take care of it anymore, it falls to me," He explained. "My dad wouldn't dare touch it."

"Not the hard working type?" Mal asked, looking away from the dusty photographs on the mantle to Ben.

"That," Ben said, brushing the dust away from the table and a few other things, "and once you take a man's daughter in marriage, it's crossing the line to take his love nest too."

Mal cocked an eyebrow at him. "Love nest?" She asked, "Just what are your expectations this afternoon, Boy king?" She asked with a small smile, leaning against the doorway.

He laughed. "I told you not to read too much into it," He answered, moving toward her, clearing the dust and the spiderwebs from his hands and pulling her toward him. "As far as my expectations, I have none, except maybe tea and a little exploring after sunset," He explained.

"Tea?" Mal asked, looking around the dusty abandoned cabin, "I doubt there's been food here in years, or running water."

"You'd be surprised," Ben answered, pulling her from the wall as the board above them shed a nail and came crashing down with a loud crash against the floorboard. He looked up at it and then back to her. "I swear it's not as rundown as it looks," He said. "It just needs a few repairs."

"Going to call the royal handyman?" Mal asked, looking around at everything that needed to be repaired.

Ben looked around and then pulled a hammer from near the backdoor. "I'm the handyman actually," He admitted, pulling a few nails from a mason jar and moving toward the rotting board.

"Oh!" Mal answered with a laugh. "So you brought me here to show off more skills," She continued, watching as he climbed up onto a chair and moved to replace the board. "Again, I ask, is there anything you can't do?"

"Besides kiss you?" He answered, his words mumbled by the nails held between his teeth, "I suck at making soufflés and my scrambled eggs are always runny." He began pulling the aged board from the ceiling. "And I brought you here because I wanted to get you alone," He explained, stepping down from the chair and moving out the back door briefly then coming back with a new board.

"Get me alone?" Mal asked when he came back, staring down the board, "that sounds downright rotten," She spoke, watching him carefully, nearly fully invested in his task of replacing the board.

The way he placed his hands, how he held the hammer, every small detail as he worked made her appreciate him more. Every strike was deliberate, well placed and gentle enough to barely rattle her especially after the unexpected board. He was as gentle with the hammer as he was when he held her.

"Am I not allowed to spend a few hours alone with my girlfriend?" He asked, making sure the board was secure, then stepping down and moving toward her. "Am I not allowed to be just Ben before we have to go back to the council tomorrow?" He continued, pulling her closer to him and brushing his fingers through her hair.

"Ok, Just Ben," Mal answered with a gentle smile. "Tell me your solution to our kisstastrophe," She said, using his own word, "And what you plan to do after that."

Ben just smiled, setting the hammer back near the backdoor. "Do you know how small hamlets in France came to be?" He asked her, as he sat her at the table and moved toward his backpack. He pulled out a box of tea and moved to the aged sink. Then he looked around for the teapot.

She answered in disagreement.

"Cities used to be built within castle walls during the crusades," Ben explained, filling the teapot and washing out the dust and grime. "But after a few generations and the wars ended, there was no more space to build and no need to stay inside the walls," That made sense to her, as she watched him prepare the tea pot and light the stove as if he wasn't a king at all, just a teenage boy.

"When the wealthy a few generations removed from the original castle wanted to build, they moved out from the walls and built their own estates and manors, which became the town halls and eventually the mayors for the hamlets as the less wealthy moved out and built their own homes." He dusted down the table with a wet rag, removing most of the dust.

"For thousands and thousands of years, being able to build a home and keep the cold away from la petite amie, was the ultimate declaration of love." She watched his cheeks turn a little pink as he continued. "If a young man could go to a young woman's parents and prove that he could care for their daughter and the daughter agreed, they could be married once he completed their petite maison. It was the equivalent of gaining a family's blessing today," He explained.

"So your grandfather honored that tradition with your grandmother, even though it hasn't been that way for centuries?" Mal asked.

"Exactly," Ben answered with a smile. "It was his way of showing her that he could provide her a home that she never had." He leaned forward, closer to her, "It was his way to show her he truly cared for her when no one else did. Every generation of his family had done it, until my dad, for obvious reasons."

"Why build a dinky house when you have a huge plushy castle?" She answered.

"Exactly," Ben repeated. "My dad was the last in a long line of royals, and very set in his traditions," He explained, "And I think after being married to him for so long, my mom has forgotten some of the old family traditions."

"Why are you telling me all of this, you huge history nerd?" Mal asked trying to keep things light, her stomach suddenly filled with butterflies, the image of him at Dwarves and Sons clear in her mind.

Ben took a deep breath. "I-" The teapot whined from the stove, angry and loud and Ben jumped up, finding two cups in the aged cupboards. Then he prepared two cups, staying tight lipped until he returned to the table. "I want to make a promise to you, but you don't have to accept it," He admitted, gazing into her eyes.

"Ben," She started quietly, unsure of her own voice for the first time ever. "I-" her words got caught in her throat, "I'm not sure it works that way," She admitted, staring down at the boiling water as it darkened. She had a feeling she knew what was coming and she wasn't sure she was ready for that just yet.

He reached for her gently, pulling her attention from the cup before her. "You have a choice in all of this," He told her gently, "but if you would rather I wait, I can do that."

Mal sat stunned. "I just, I mean,-" she groaned in frustration, "We haven't even kissed yet!" She answered, "We don't even know if we can and you want to make more promises?" She asked, feeling the not so level headed angry magic rise within her.

Ben just smiled. "Just what do you think I'm trying to promise you, Mal?" He asked, completely unfrightened, a healthy dose of cocky.

Mal sighed, not wanting to meet his eyes. "The only way I would take the kingdom from you," She answered, focusing on a huge spiderweb, speckled with dust above the partition that separated the bed from the rest of the cabin. She tried not to focus on the bed itself. "What every king needs, and all that nonsense," She mumbled, trying not to think too hard about it, just to be disappointed.

"All that nonsense?" Ben repeated slowly and she could feel his eyes on her, studying her for any break in her stare away from him. Then he seemed to follow her gaze not to the spiderweb, but what lay directly under it. "I told you not to read too much into it," He told her softly, leaning closer to her and brushing his hand across her cheek only to make her jump. "You thought I was going to propose?" He asked after a few seconds.

"I saw you at Dwarves and Sons," Mal admitted quietly after a few long agonizing seconds. "Evie rants about their stunning jewels in all of their engagement arrangements," She explained trying to keep her face straight and not break and look at him. "Your parents arranged for you to take a queen by the end of the summer," She continued, thinking about Audrey unwillingly.

Ben laughed beside her. At least he was enjoying himself. "Oh," he answered, "that." As if him being in an expensive jewelers was nothing. "They do more than engagement rings, you know," He explained, "And I was going to wait until summer solstice, which just happens to be our two month mark, but if you're about to be mad at me-"

"I'm not mad," Mal explained, "Just really-" she couldn't think of the right word to explain her feelings. "Overwhelmed," She decided.

He slid out of the chair and knelt before her, pulling her attention to him. "What's making you feel overwhelmed?" He asked, his eyes soft, concerned.

"All of the promises that we are tangled up in, and you want to make more," Mal admitted, "The chance that you may be doing all of this under a love spell and that none of it could be real. The fact that I could be shipped back to the isle, where I don't have a place anymore, the minute it breaks." She closed her eyes and turned her attention to her shoes on the dusty wood floor, her hair forming dark curtains around her vision.

Ben wasn't quiet for too long. "Mal, look at me," He said, quietly, his hands on her arms gently. She reluctantly pulled her attention back to him. "I can promise you this isn't a love spell," He told her gently. "But if you are so convinced that it is, use our first kiss to break it and any other spell I may have over me." She stared at him, his wording quite strange, his face becoming quite strange as he thought about things. "I would give it freely, right now, if I hadn't made that first promise in front of so many people."

She met his eyes and he smiled. Her throat was still too tight to speak, or even move just yet.

"I figure if I made that first promise in front of at least five hundred people and two faeries, I can break it better in front of at least eight faeries and over two thousand people," He explained with a satisfied smile. "But no matter what happens, you will always have a home here in Auradon as long as I am king."

That was a promise too.

"Are you sure you can break it safely?" She asked, watching him carefully. She knew what she had gained from the research about faeries that went back on their promises.

He nodded. "It was easier than I thought," He admitted, "but Occam's razor I guess, right?"

"What?" She asked. "What did you just say?" Hadn't Meredith said the same thing?

"It was easier than I thought?" Ben repeated.

"No, the other part," Mal corrected.

"Occam's razor?" Ben asked, "The easiest solution is the correct solution," He explained and she could see his confusion at her confusion.

At that moment reality seemed to hit her hard and fast. "The easiest solution is giving your kingdom for the right kind of kiss," She realized, her mind going a million miles a minute. "You were going to propose!" She continued, finally meeting his eyes again.

He nodded in defeat. "In the future, yes." He answered with a small nervous smile on his lips. "The way I figured it, as soon as I turn eighteen and am legal in the United States of Auradon, then no one can take the kingdom from me," he said, "from us," He amended, gripping her hands tight.

"So you were going to what?" Mal asked, "Promise me that you would propose just so we could kiss and then hope in two years that we would still be together so you wouldn't have to find a way to break that promise?" She continued, thinking about how long two years really was and pushing his hands away. "Didn't really think that one through did you, Benny Foo Foo?" She asked darkly. Her sarcasm her defense mechanism. "Unpromising a kingdom for a kiss by promising marriage in the future is worse than the kingdom going to my mother." She winced at her own words as he stood.

She could tell that he was trying to keep his temper in check. Like father like son, she guessed. "At least I'm trying," He said, curling and uncurling his fists as he began to pace faster. "Your best idea is to hold off for six years, but you don't know what will happen if-" he stopped, then rephrased. "You might be able to wait six years, but I can't!" His volume only seemed to be rising with his anger. "I can barely even wait six seconds!" He spouted.

"You think it's easy for me?" Mal answered, shooting to her feet in anger. "I've been trying all summer to impress your parents and living under the watchful eye of everyone. Do you know how hard it is not to think about your stupid lips and your stupid promises to me and my mother when I'm trying to keep up appearances and be who everyone wants me to be?" She shouted back at him. "Promising her the kingdom if I left? Completely idiotic!" She shouted, not caring if her anger was cold or hot, or what came of it. He had already seen the worst of it. "Promising your kingdom for a kiss, which I might add doesn't have to be from me?" She shouted, "The most fucking idiotic thing you could do!"

"Hey!" He shouted, grabbing her arm as she waggled her finger in front of his face. "You were the one that promised my kingdom over your dead body and the idiot that spelled me with the most powerful love spell known to man, the same one your mother used on King Fucking Arthur!" He didn't release her arm, but she didn't care. "Who, in case you forgot, is your father, making you first in line before me by three fucking months. All you would have to do is ask and I would have to hand over the rule to you and your FUCKING MOTHER!"

Mal froze. "You knew this entire time?" She asked, her temper suddenly fizzling out as if she had been chucked into the icy enchanted lake.

Ben dropped her arm, panting from his shouting at her. "The entire kingdom knows you have some Royal blood," Ben admitted, "No one knew how much, since your mom was a huge slut." Obviously he was still angry, but that was anger she could handle. "Until I saw you that night in the kitchens."

"So what?" Mal asked, her anger building again, "You were just going to continue on as if you didn't know and hope I wouldn't catch on and ask for the crown and the rule for my mother?" She asked. "Or was it your job to keep me distracted and not tell me at all? Were you worried I would renounce my desire to be good?"

Ben groaned in frustration. "You are such a-" he paused, his anger not enough to cross that line "a-"

"A what?" Mal challenged. "A bitch?" She asked. "Come on Ben, you know I've heard worse! You can say it, I would love a reason to smack that puppy snarl off your face."

He let out a roar of pure rage and she knew he was trying not to stick his foot too far into his mouth and say something that couldn't be undone. "You want the kingdom so bad?" He asked, "You want it all? You want to be evil and rotten and mad?" He continued, pulling her from where she stood and practically tearing down the door as it stuck again. He pulled her from the cabin and down the steps practically shoving her toward the tall tree. "Climb!" He snarled.

"What the hell are you-?"

"Climb!" He snarled again, "Or so help me I will carry you myself." He was downright vicious and to be honest it was a little bit of a turn on, or it would be if she weren't so pissed. "Don't you dare stop until you reach the top," He continued.

She climbed, not sure she wanted to fight with Ben more than twenty feet in the air. It was a pretty straight shot to the top, though it had been months since she climbed anything like she used to on the island.

When she reached the top she could see hundreds of miles it seemed, and just the start of twinkling lights in every direction as the dusk settled over the sky, day giving in to night. Ben joined her, his anger almost tangible, bringing the entire beautiful view crashing down in anger.

"There's your kingdom," He growled. "What do you desire first Queen Maleficent?" He asked and she flinched. "Shall I take you back to the council so you can confer with your mother on who to sleep with first? How to take the most power?"

Mal curled her lips in anger and then untensed and laughed. Not even an evil laugh, just a laugh. "Was that an incest joke?" She asked, turning back to face him with a small smile. Now that was isle humor, the most disgusting thing anyone could think of.

Ben tried his best not to smile as she continued to laugh, but her laughter was slowly eating away at his anger, until he remained straight faced. "I'm still angry," He said quietly, pulling his legs up and sitting cross legged on the large branch.

"Good," Mal answered, trying not to laugh at how much he looked like a child with his arms crossed and his mouth pulled into a pout. "You've been too complacent with the whole situation," She admitted. "Some things you need to get angry and fight for." He turned to stare at her as she sat on the branch next to him, her legs dangling several hundred feet over the ground. "That means you won't want to kiss me either," She added.

Ben sighed. "I never said I didn't want to kiss you," He answered back. "And that pisses me off even more," He explained. "I can't even be mad at you and not want to kiss you."

"Love spell," Mal answered.

"It's not a-" Ben started, but sighed. "Well this date has just been one disaster after another," He decided after several seconds.

Mal shrugged. "It had its moments," She decided. "The hula hoops," She reminded him, "or the eclair," She continued. "Whatever that was on the path earlier," She added, giving him a little look, and an eyebrow waggle.

He laughed. "At the risk of another fighting match, I want to explain myself," He told her, several seconds later and she turned to face him, not quite sure if she wanted to hear the explanation or not. He took a deep breath anyway. "I didn't mean to assume that you would want to marry me in two years," He said. "It seemed like the best option," He admitted. "But you're right, it's terrible."

Mal sighed. "It's not that I don't want-" she found her words getting caught in her throat, "-that," she couldn't even say it. "Two years is a long time to place the weight on one kiss."

"You were so prepared to place it all on six years," He answered. "Which is impossible," He added. "I am a teenage boy and very impatient."

She laughed. "So that's why you were so prepared to make yet another promise?" She asked. "Risk something else?"

He reached for her hand. "As I said earlier," he continued, squeezing her hand tight. "You have a choice in this promise." He slid closer to her, "You always have a choice, Mal," He continued.

She turned to fully look at him. "You've got my attention," She answered. "I want to hear this promise." She never thought she would say those words.

He cleared his throat, "I promise that if we stay together long enough to consider marriage, that I will continue the old family tradition of building you a house," Ben told her.

"Why would you do that," Mal asked, "when you have the huge castle at your command?"

"Because I know you don't like the castle life as much as you prefer a little house," Ben answered. "With Grandfather and Jeanette you were completely different than with my parents or in the castle at all," He told her, and she stared. How had he been so observant with everything else on his mind? "Even royalty need a place to run away," He said, and she did not miss the innuendo.

"You just want a little love nest where they can't have entire council meetings in our bedroom," Mal accused him with a little smile.

Ben laughed. "Can you blame me?" He asked, "You underestimate my restraint at times, Mal," He admitted. "Like on the path, I swear I was trying to be good, but your moans are dangerous. That made me think of a thousand different things that I shouldn't." He sighed. "You don't understand how much I need to break this damn promise on summer solstice," He explained, squeezing her hand in his.

"Tell me," She suggested. "Show me," She requested. She had no idea what had brought that on, but a deep blush came to her cheeks. The thousands of possibilities he had mentioned stirring in her mind.

Ben laughed a short nervous laugh. "Are you sure about that?" He asked, "I wouldn't want to get my nose broken again," He added, leaning closer. "Or get pushed out of a tree," He added, looking down toward the ground, at least fifty feet down.

"I never said we had to stay up in the trees," She answered, "And as long as you keep your lips from mine, your nose is safe," She added, before she jumped down from the branch, swinging toward another one.

The chase only spurring him on, she hoped.


	36. Chapter 36

Ben couldn't help but smile as Mal slammed the door playfully as he hopped down from the huge tree. He wasn't sure what had done it, maybe the distance from the castle, or their honest conversation, or even their screaming match, but something had changed. She seemed more free, more open since guests started arriving at the castle and the council started. Then again, it was the longest he had seen her in the past several weeks.

He caught her hand and pulled her tight to him, wrapping his arms around her. It wasn't like she had too far to run anyway. "You really want me to show you how bad I want to break this promise?" He asked, brushing her long bangs from her forehead gently. "You trust me enough to show you?" He continued.

"As long as you don't kiss me." Mal answered with a small smile. "Well on my lips." She added with what he considered a wicked smile.

She had to know what she was doing to him.

"I can work with that." He answered, willing his voice not to crack. "Though for various reasons I am going to have to tell you to keep your lips to yourself." He continued with a smile, brushing his thumb across her cheek gently.

Her evil smile only got wider. "Just try and tell me to keep my hands to myself." She answered back, moving her hands to his cheeks and pinching his cheeks gently.

He laughed, and began moving her toward the bed behind the curtain. Her rules were simple enough and he knew exactly where to draw the line from their previous experiences.

"So," he said, his voice low and gentle in the fading light of the cabin, the last rays of sunlight, peeking through the windows, leading her back further until he couldn't push her back any further. "As soon as the promise is broken, I'm going to take you into my arms and lean in close," he leaned in closer, she hadn't said anything about teasing. "And kiss you with the gentlest of kisses."

He could see the blush across her cheeks, even in the low light. He couldn't help but smile as he pulled one of her hands in his, gripping it tightly, intertwining their fingers and joining their palms as he guided them down to the mattress gently. He could feel her eyes on him as their weight shifted into the mattress bringing up a cloud of thick dust.

Mal sneezed a short sneeze, and he was sure he felt an electric shock against his palm. She sneezed again and fire flew from her fingertips, narrowly missing him. He stared and then she started to sneeze again and he pulled her up from the bed and away from the dust. She sneezed again and the dust around them became snow before falling to the floor.

"I suppose I should be thankful you don't have allergies?" He asked, brushing her hair from her eyes again gently.

"If I am ever sick, stay far far away." She warned. "On the isle, it was just a holy terror, but with magic, you might just die." She explained.

"Who would bring you chicken soup and wrap you up in blankets?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair. "I can handle fire and electricity and snow." He continued bringing his lips to her hair. "And as far as showing you how much I want to break this promise, shall we try again?" He asked, gripping her hand tighter, then pulling himself away briefly.

He turned his attention to the bed and the dusty comforter, pulling it from the bed and tossing it aside. The sheets beneath were much less dusty and he turned to beckon her back to him.

She nestled into his arms again and he wrapped his hand around hers again gently, his other arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close. "After that," he gripped her hand a little tighter, "Once I know we're safe, then all bets are off." He told her, turning her back toward the bed and guiding her down even more gently than before. "You're going to have to beg me to stop kissing you." He whispered.

He tried to pull his hand away from hers, but she gripped it tighter. "I don't beg." She answered.

Ben laughed into her shoulder. "I'm not saying I want you to beg for it." He said, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand. "There are a lot of things I would love to hear you beg for, and that is not one of them." He told her, his voice barely above a whisper, his other hand moving to her neck with the gentlest of touches.

She turned toward his touch. "You are such a flirt." She groaned, wrapping her free arm around him and rolling him into the mattress. "And what should I make you beg for?" She asked, forcing him further into the mattress, her smile growing more wicked by the second as she ran her palm against his cheek to grip his chin. "I do have more torture tactics." She reminded him, leaning forward until she was just close enough to tease him.

All's fair in love and- well...

He could feel his heart beating in his ears, his breath quickening and the butterflies flying up a hurricane in his stomach, as she continued his torture that wasn't really torture. "For strawberries and jelly donuts maybe." He answered with a little smile, moving his hand up the side of her bare thigh and around her hip with the gentlest of pressures.

He didn't miss the shiver it caused or the smile that pulled at his cheeks more.

"And I am the one who is supposed to be showing you." He said, hooking his hands around her hips and sitting them up in one fluid motion and holding her close. He didn't miss the small gasp that escaped her lips as her grip lessened around his chin.

He forced his gaze up at her face, the vantage point definitely not missed, and definitely not under appreciated. "From that first kiss on your lips, I would continue down your neck," his fingers gently stroked the pulse point on her neck, the same place that had made her moan before, he could see and feel the shiver run through her, her eyes barely closed and quivering. "And lower, if you would allow it." He spoke quietly, brushing his fingers down her chest experimentally, but stopping just before the fabric of her dress began.

He could feel her laugh through his fingertips. "Not in front of your parents." She spoke, her voice breathy, her eyes still closed, deep in her imagination.

"Later then." He whispered, moving his lips to replace his hand on her neck. "After the festivities are over and everyone else has gone to bed." He explained, closing his eyes too, catching a bit of her collarbone as he dipped lower, her closeness intoxicating him further.

It might just get dangerous.

"I'll light about a hundred candles," he continued the trail down her neck, making as little contact as possible, as if that would save them if it indeed counted as a kiss, "spread enough rose petals to put my father's rose garden to shame," he continued the gentle motions and she didn't seem to want him to stop, her breath getting caught in her throat, behind her full pink lips, only coming out in short gasps every few seconds. "And kiss every inch of you that I can reach." Her hands snaked up his back and onto his neck and into his hair, gripping him tighter, closer it seemed, crashing his lips down further onto her delicate skin, his hands gripping her hips tighter in response.

A never ending loop of building tension it seemed. Until something snapped in her.

"You're making-" Mal started, but was unable to continue, having to try and take another deep breath. "You're making it really hard to be rational," She stated, her eyes catching his briefly, her hands moving from his neck and to the buttons of his vest, working deftly and efficiently.

"Welcome to my world," Ben told her in a breathy whisper near her ear, snaking his hands up her back. "Six years still seem like a plausible solution?" He teased as her hands moved back up to the buttons of his shirt, working them as quickly as she had the vest buttons. His hands held her close, his lips dangerously close to what he considered the danger zone.

"Six seconds seems like an eternity," Mal whispered breathlessly shedding the vest and the tattered shirt from his skin in one quick motion. He couldn't help but laugh into her skin.

"Do you trust me?" Ben asked, a phrase he had no doubts that she was used to by then, as he shook the sleeves from his arms in haste. "Will you let me try something?" He continued when the only response was her short hum against his lips.

She answered in the affirmative and he pulled his lips from her skin and guided her down to the pillows, hoping that they wouldn't make her start sneezing again. With a trembling hand, he started his fingertips at the base of her neck and began the gentle descent down her chest, unbuttoning the large buttons as he went, willing himself to keep his hands steady enough and gentle enough, calibrating carefully how many unexpected shivers he could give her.

She molded like putty to his hand, her skin aching for his touch, goosebumps raising up on her bare skin wherever his fingers trailed, her eyelids fluttering with every shaky breath. He smiled at the thought of what was to follow that as he reached the end of the buttons at the juncture of the high waistline.

He watched her carefully as he brought his lips to the little patch of skin between her bra and where her dress continued into the A line skirt. He could practically feel her skin vibrating beneath him with a potential that was driving him crazy, and then the slightest little moan escaped her throat and she relaxed into the sheets, her hands gripping him tightly.

"I don't want you to be rational," Ben told her, once he pulled his lips from her skin briefly, not wanting to break whatever it was he had built up in her.

Then he ran his tongue between her cleavage gently, following it with a little wisp of air, making her shiver into him, a louder moan escaping her lips, her hands gripping whatever they could around her, her eyes closed tight.

"One of us has to be," Mal answered after a few seconds. "And it definitely can't be you." She opened her eyes briefly to reveal a flash of the bright green magic within her.

He couldn't help but laugh a gentle laugh into her skin. "Spelling me again?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at her, but knowing full well she wasn't.

She shook her head in a small motion. "Me," She explained quietly. "But you are barreling through my defenses like a bull in a china shop," She admitted.

"Defenses?" He asked, brushing his fingers between the mountains of her breasts, hidden behind the black bra and watching her shiver markedly.

She nodded again, her focus on his hand and then flashing to his lips. "I'm not taking any chances until I know that a kiss is just a kiss," She explained. "Especially with you."

So the electricity he had felt against her skin hadn't been him at all, but a magic kind of barrier between them.

"Would you rather I didn't?" He asked gently, pulling himself further from her, his hands leaving her skin, and sitting up.

She followed him up too. "No," she answered quietly, pulling him back to her and pushing him into the pillows with a force that he enjoyed more than he would ever tell her at that moment. She held him there in the dimness of the room, his heart beating in his ears harder now. "But I want you to close your eyes," She told him with a forceful yet playful whisper, the only light seeming to be from her neon green eyes.

He closed his eyes without a second thought. "They're closed," He told her, even though he had no doubt that she already knew that.

In the space of a few short seconds he felt several things shift. Her weight against his hips shifted forward, her hands moving from the mattress toward the pillows he guessed, and he swore he could feel her gentle breath against his neck.

So she was planning on teasing him as he had teased her. He took as deep of a breath as he could and tried to steady himself. He knew in an instant he could rearrange and readjust if he felt her in imminent danger from several sources, himself included.

He practically jumped, his throat tightening, his hands gripping hard into the bed sheets as what felt like her lips crashed down onto his neck with a gentleness that felt like an electric shock. It wasn't the good kind of gripping the bedsheets. He gripped them out of fear.

"Mal?" He asked, his voice cracking in fear. He swallowed hard when she didn't answer, the feeling of her lips still against his neck. She seemed to be playing with something very dangerous, and it didn't seem she was being rational at all.

She shushed him rather close, the feeling of what was most likely not her lips moving from his neck. "Just relax and let me show you what I'm going to do once I can kiss you," She whispered, then the feeling of her lips came closer to his clavicle with a little more pressure. "Trust me," She continued.

And he did.

Then she continued to kiss, or what felt like kisses, down his chest and his abs, his breath getting caught in his throat every time, the urge to grip her, pull her to him and really torture her with his lips building further and forming a moan in his throat. Then she moved even lower, reaching the waistline of his pants and he felt the distinct softness of her lip against the skin just under the fabric.

He thought of every evil or dark or gross thing he could think of, trying to hold back the sound that threatened to ruin him in the back of his throat, but the moan of pleasure broke through anyway.

Then everything stopped.

No sound, no sensation of her against him, nothing but the darkness behind his eyelids.

He opened his eyes tentatively, afraid of what he might find. He let out a sigh of relief as he found her, sitting up, watching him, her neon green eyes trained on him like a predator in the darkness.

"You're not the only one who can torture," She told him with a smile that was pure wickedness.

He couldn't help but smile and sigh a sigh of pure relief, as he leaned back into the pillows momentarily. "Who taught you that?" He asked, as far as he knew she was innocent in the acts of dating, making out and what making out usually led to. "Because they are so getting a stern talking to when we get back."

"You're not going to even ask how I did it?" She asked, a little disappointed it sounded like. "You really thought it was my lips, didn't you?" She wondered.

Ben sat up just slightly. "It wasn't?" He asked, trying to find her in the darkness and get a reading on her.

"Nope," Mal answered, brushing her fingers across the pulse point on his neck, and getting the same reaction as if it were her lips. "It drives Doug crazy when Evie does it while she's waiting for her lipstick to dry."

"I should have known it was Evie," Ben answered, feeling a smile pull at his cheeks, as he watched her, her fingers trailing shivers across his skin.

"Never walk into our dorm if there is anything hanging on the doorknob, and I mean anything," She explained, though he already knew that. He had been there too. "I'm pretty sure I know more about their anatomy than my own," She admitted, with a blush he was sure.

Ben leaned forward, pulling Mal closer to him again. "You know," he whispered into her hair, wrapping his arms around her, "I could fix that," He told her, rubbing small circles against her clavicle, just under the straps of her dress, moving them from her shoulders gently and placing his lips there gently, hearing her breath catch again as he pulled her closer and under him again, her gasps only growing into moans.

* * *

"Hey, Mal?" Ben's voice came from beside her as she leaned against the pillows, the sheets wrapped around both of them in various states of dress. She turned back over to face him, and met his eyes in the candlelight. "That will be better when we can actually kiss," He told her, brushing her hair from her eyes.

Mal smiled as his hand moved down her neck and onto her shoulder gently. "I have no doubts about that," She answered, snuggling into him, draping her arm over his abs and resting her head against his shoulder, his heartbeat steady in her ears.

They lay in the silence for several long seconds, and she began drawing lazy circles against his skin as he rubbed her back.

"Hey Mal?" He asked again, after a few more seconds, suddenly sounding more nervous. "Remember when you were asking about what I was doing at Dwarves and Sons?"

She hummed in response, her eyes closed, comfortable enough to fall asleep after the long day of everything.

"I realized that I haven't actually given you anything besides my ring," He continued, his hand still moving against her back. "So I picked something up," He explained.

Her eyes popped open, her nervousness almost tangible. No one had ever really given her gifts without expecting something in return, or ever really. "Do I have to close my eyes for this surprise?" Mal asked, trying to portray her usual calm demeanor and trying her hardest to relax into him.

She could feel Ben laugh beneath her. "Your eyes are already closed." He answered, "And you look like you could crash for the night," He continued, "And while I wish we could, we do have to be back for the council tomorrow."

Like she didn't already know that. She pushed up from Ben and the bed, opening her eyes only after she sat up to look at him.

His hair was perfectly tousled against the pillow, one hand behind his head, pulling his muscles tight and making him look like a model. The smile on his face, and his dimples, making her head and her heart do crazy things, or maybe that had been his hands earlier. The sheets crumpled around his waist only making her consider further options that they had yet to explore, that he had told her they wouldn't explore until he could truly kiss her.

She caught his eyes and watched as his smile only grew wider, his dimples moving deeper into his flawless skin. She took him all in, from his hair and his dimples, and his muscles and his presence there and she felt a strange few words rising in her throat and getting caught there.

"What?" Ben asked, as he turned over to face her, leaning on his other arm, his eyes on hers and not anywhere else, though she knew she was close enough to naked that he shouldn't be so focused on her face.

She could have said them, she knew that, but instead she swallowed them down again. "You look like one of those models in Atlantia and Flounder's," She covered.

"The ones that are practically naked?" Ben asked, raising his eyebrows. He was practically naked himself and didn't have much room to talk, and she just nodded, trying not to think about how naked they both were. "Let me guess?" He continued, "All that's missing is the crown?"

"You said it, not me," Mal answered with a little smile. "I have to say, I like you better without it," She admitted, snuggling back into him, "Well for certain activities, anyway," She continued, enjoying to heat of his skin against hers.

He brushed his hand through her hair. "As much as I wish we could continue," he said, "We do have the council tomorrow morning."

Mal groaned. "Do we really have to go back?" She asked, looking up at him. "Can't we just stay here?"

Ben laughed against her. "Yes we do," He answered, "but we can come back again if you like, maybe after the council is concluded," He suggested, pulling them up to sitting again.

Mal groaned again. "Fine," She answered, untangling herself from him and standing to search for the clothes they had discarded.

By the time she dressed again and turned, he sat there in his silk boxers, a little green box in his hand from Dwarves and Sons. He stared at her, his eyes soft as he offered it to her, and she stared at it as if it were a viper, about to bite her.

After a few long seconds of deliberation, she took a step forward, closer to him and whatever mystery the box contained. She took the dark green box with the gold lettering and opened it slowly. She had never been one for too much jewelry anyway.

As soon as she laid eyes on the necklace inside, she stared in surprise. On a dainty gold chain, surrounded by what had to be priceless tiny diamonds, was a decent sized stone with several shades of greens and blues and purples in the shape of a heart. She stared at the pendant, then up to Ben and then back at the pendant again. It must have cost a royal fortune.

"It's a rainbow topaz," Ben told her, standing and pulling his pants on. He moved closer to her. "I thought it would bring out your eyes," He said.

She closed the box and handed it back to him, trying to keep her face as neutral as possible. He just stared at her for several long seconds. "Help me put it on?" She asked, knowing a smile was about to peek through on his face.

Sure enough, he broke into a smile before she turned away from him, pulling her hair to the side as he draped the chain over her neck and fastened it in the back, his fingertips ghosting against the nape of her neck followed by his lips before he turned her to face him.

"Just as I thought," he said, "Perfect." She felt a blush coming to her cheeks. He offered her his hand. "Shall we head back?" He asked her.

She nodded and then turned her attention to the small kitchen table where two tea cups sat. "We forgot our tea," She teased and he laughed as he dumped them and rinsed the cups, blowing out several candles as he went.

Then he returned to her once there was only one candle remaining lit near the door. He offered her his hand again and she took it. "We could always have tea next time," He told her as he switched on a flashlight.

"Right," Mal answered, "Because the thing I will be most concerned with once I can kiss you, is tea."

* * *

The summer castle was deserted as Ben led her up the stairs to the west wing and her bedroom. They were quiet already, but Mal put her finger to her lips as they passed Audrey's room next to hers. She knew how light of a sleeper she was and though it would be a little fun and evil to rub it in her face, she just didn't feel up to it that night.

"I'll see you in the morning," Ben whispered quietly, her hand intertwined in his tightly. "Thank you for an amazing date," He continued as he pulled her tight into his arms.

"Thank you," Mal answered, muffled into his chest. "For everything," She added, looking up at him in the dim light, those same three words threatening to bubble up again as he brushed her hair behind her ears, his eyes so soft and kind.

"Anything for you," He whispered back, planting the gentlest of kisses into her hair.

Then they reluctantly separated and Mal watched him descend the stairs for a few seconds before entering her room, a smile on her face that nothing could remove.

That is until something hit her in the darkness of her room, knocking her to the floor and blurring her vision to the point of losing consciousness.


	37. Chapter 37

The darkness greeted her as she gasped for air, unsure of how she had gotten there or even where she was. The last thing she remembered was Ben guiding her to her room after their return from their date.

Then nothing after.

Her head throbbed, and she pulled her hand to her forehead to feel the sticky flakey mess of blood. She had been hit hard with something and it made the dim colors of the room spin. She knew she was on the ground somewhere, the thick gravel pointed and glass like beneath her. She knew there was no point in calling out.

From what she could tell and feel she was trapped in the dungeons, the magical barrier holding strong, the iron making everything worse. She was so deep in the bowels of the castle that she doubted even screaming would help.

A sound came in the darkness, beyond the bars and Mal turned to see who was there. She hoped it was Ben, but she expected the worst. Phillip Dormant, Ben's parents or anyone else from the council who hadn't liked her. Her mind flashed to King Arthur, her father, and then at once to her mother, Maleficent.

"Who's there?" She called out, trying to make herself sound braver, stronger than she felt. She sat up and turned toward the iron bars, trying to look and feel vicious.

She could see someone in the darkness, behind the iron bars, someone that made a shiver run up her spine, even as she tried to be vicious. The person opened the cell door and reached Mal, leaning down in front of her.

Before Mal was herself, staring back at her.

Magic permeated the air, even through the magic barrier. Someone was parading around as her and doing a pretty good job by the looks of the her before her.

"Who are you?" She asked, staring herself down as the other her smiled at her wickedly, then overpowered her to the floor before she even realized she had moved.

Whoever it was pretending to be her had studied her well, using the same take down she favored and wrenching her arm behind her back in an angle that if pushed any further would dislocate her shoulder. She tried not to scream out in pain, even though it did hurt. She didn't want to show any weakness, or any fear to whoever was pretending to be her.

She felt Ben's ring being slipped from her finger and she tried to ball her fist to keep it there, but the other her was too powerful and tweaked her fingers back forcefully, slipping the ring off. Somehow, she knew that they would be after the pendant next and she huddled into the floor until she could figure out how to overpower whoever was pretending to be her.

Overpowering the other her seemed impossible. "Get up!" Her own voice screamed at her and she would swear it was only a dream, if not for the pain that seared through her skin and to her bones. "Give it to me!" She demanded and Mal forced herself to look back at herself.

Then she saw the magic beginning to melt away and reveal the imposter for who they really were.

"You!" She shouted, jumping up and trying to lunge for the imposter that was half her and half someone else.

The other her was still faster and shoved her into the far wall, making her see stars in the darkness and pulling her from consciousness again.

* * *

"Something's up with Mal," Evie whispered to him as she leaned between him and Carlos to reach for more croissants from the post council brunch buffet line. Her voice was just low enough that he was sure no one else had heard her.

"I know," He answered as she cut him in line and they continued to talk barely loud enough for anyone else to hear. "She keeps calling me 'your highness' or 'King Ben' and it's starting to creep me out. No cutesy nicknames or anything," He explained, scooping some scrambled eggs onto his plate.

"I don't sense any magic or deception about her though," Evie answered and Ben could see her shift her gaze over to Mal. "Did you do anything to piss her off?" She asked, looking to Ben again.

"Not that I know of," Ben answered, looking up to her and then back to Evie. "She was happy and herself when I left her last night," He explained. "This morning I don't know," He decided.

"What are you thinking?" Evie asked, grabbing a few scoops of the berry medley and putting them on her plate too, even though he knew she already had a plate next to Mal and Carlos at their table.

"Honestly, I don't know what to think," Ben answered, scooping heaping piles of the berry medley onto the plate he was planning on sharing with Mal. "Could she be playing a cruel joke?" He asked.

Evie laughed darkly. "That's not her joking style," She explained. "Her idea of a joke is pain and punishment, not torturing me with the disgusting pink sash with the forest green dress."

"So we're agreed that can't be Mal," Ben answered with a little smile toward Mal as she waved to him daintily.

"Not unless she suffered a traumatic brain injury," Evie answered, her face a straight line. "But until we know for sure, don't do anything to raise alarm. I'll think of something," She told him before she darted off to the table where the others were sitting and Ben followed her reluctantly.

At the table, he took the seat next to her and set the plate between them, watching the Mal beside him carefully for any signs of anything out of place as he picked at his food.

The Mal next to him seemed too dainty, too feminine, too timid. She sat back from the rest of them seated at the table, all animatedly talking about tourney and the council itself and stealing things off of each other's plates, and sometimes even getting hit for it. She even kept her distance from Ben and the plate of food he had placed between them.

He knew it wasn't Mal, but he couldn't help being concerned. "Are you ok?" He asked her, and as her green eyes with the little gold flecks looked back at him, he felt himself still feeling those strong feelings for her. "Is there anything I can do?" He asked as he leaned closer to cuddle her and she moved away almost as if it were a reflex.

Jay let out a laugh. "Looks like someone's in the doghouse Ben!" He exclaimed, then he barked at him loudly. "What's wrong Queen of Darkness? Not enough strawberries on the plate?" He asked, his mouth full of what Ben could only guess was pancakes.

"I'm actually allergic," Mal admitted and everyone at the table stared. She stumbled over her next few words. "I mean, um, they just don't look appetizing," She added, her eyes scared.

The strawberries looked perfect, not a trace of any discoloration. They had been picked at the peak of freshness and there were no issues with them. Ben felt all eyes at the table on him, waiting for some kind of response from him. It was only the six of them at the table, but he knew how fast rumors traveled, especially during the council of the seven kingdoms.

He pulled her to him, placing his lips into her hair for no one else but the press. "I know you're not Mal," he whispered to her, whoever she was.

She struggled against him, but he held her tight to him, and she was unable to escape.

"But I need you to at least pretend better than this," If she, whoever she was, continued to pretend to be such a different Mal, there would be problems.

She still tried to struggle against him.

"My name is Benjamin Florian Adamson, King of Auradon and the seven kingdoms and I command you are not allowed to leave my side until I find the real Mal," He said, his voice low and forceful. "Do you understand me?" He asked.

She nodded slowly, forcing a smile onto her face and he released her, turning back to the others and continuing to pick at the food on the plate between them.

After that, fake Mal seemed to be better and things almost seemed normal. Though she still wouldn't touch the strawberries.

Fucking faeries and their fucking loopholes. 

* * *

Ben didn't get another moment truly alone with fake Mal until everyone else had gone to bed. The rest of the day after the council had been spent preparing for the Summer Solstice festivities the next day.

Setting up the Maypole and preparing the tables and chairs and chopping bonfire wood hadn't been part of his responsibilities, but he joined the castle staff in the preparations anyway. It had been a chance to watch the imposter from afar and send Jay and Carlos to try and find the real Mal, wherever she was, since he had to keep up appearances.

If anyone could find the missing jewel in his crown, so to speak, it was a thief and where Jay went, Carlos followed.

Before they went to bed, Jay and Carlos had reported that they hadn't found any sign of her, the real her at least and Ben had to say he was at least a little disappointed.

He led her to Mal's room and shut the door behind them and locked it. "Maleficent!" He practically growled, pulling the other Mal with him toward the cage on the windowsill.

He could hear Maleficent laugh from the cage. "The pup summons me?" She asked in mock shock as she moved toward the plastic, showing off her purple belly and standing on her back legs.

"I know you are somehow involved with this," Ben answered, "Tell me where the real Mal is and I will be merciful," He spoke, though he had no plans to be merciful. He had ninety-nine problems and Maleficent was the cause of all of them.

Maleficent laughed again. "I don't have any idea what you're talking about," She said, "Isn't she right behind you?" She asked, her eyes moving toward the Mal behind him. He turned to look, unsure if the other Mal was still there. "Are you sure that's not the real Mal, pup?" She asked. "She looks like the real Mal to me."

Ben looked at the Mal before him, definitely not the Mal he was used to. She held herself differently, her shoulders hunched, her eyes full of fear as she looked around the room, even the way her clothes fit somehow different. She was not the real Mal.

Then she began to hum and Ben stared, and found himself stumbling to his knees before her, unable to detect any magic.

"That is the real Mal," Maleficent's voice came from behind him and he crawled toward Mal, her beauty stunning him into submission.

She was the most beautiful girl in the world and all of the seven kingdoms.

* * *

Mal's eyes shot open as she heard the familiar tune from her childhood as if it were right next to her. She stood and ran for the bars, the only thing standing between her and freedom.

She knew yelling wouldn't solve anything, since no one could most likely hear her, but she knew she had to try something. She knew exactly what her mother was up to with the familiar melody from her childhood and she knew exactly how it had affected Ben before.

"Ben!" She shouted, shaking the bars as much as she could. "Ben!" She repeated louder, the iron biting into her skin but she continued to shake them, though they refused to give.

She didn't know how long she had been trapped, or even what time of day it was, but she knew she had to escape.

If she had magic-

No!

She grew up on the island, without magic for sixteen years. She had learned how to fight and pick locks and steal things and scare people all without magic. She had learned how to be evil from the Queen of Evil herself without a speck of magic.

If she could do that, she could escape from a cell without magic. She could save Ben before it was too late. She just hoped she wasn't too late already.

The melody in her head only got louder as she tried to think of how she could escape with only the clothes on her back. She figured that was her mother's way to torture her, show her how evil she really could be. Mal hated her for that.

She wanted to prove to her that she could overcome her evilness.

She had to protect the kingdom from her mother any way she could.


	38. Chapter 38

_Thank you readers and reviewers! I really appreciate all the love and support from the fandom! There are only a few chapters left before we reach the end._

Ben woke with a smile on his face. It was the day he had been waiting for since he had first learned about the kiss dilemma with Mal. The day he had decided that he was going to break the promise against them, the promise he had made to her under the most powerful love spell. Summer Soltice had arrived and he was going to make the best of it.

He knew he we going to kiss her before the day rolled over to the next one. He had set his mind on it and he knew things would go well. He knew things would go well and they would finally be able to relax and do things all other couples did. He would finally feel free from all of the chains that bound him.

He hadn't remembered how he had gotten in bed, or falling asleep, but he still couldn't stop smiling as he got ready for the day, thinking about her lips the entire time.

He rushed to her room, not remembering what time they had agreed to meet, since there was no meeting of the council that morning in favor of the Summer Solstice celebrations. It was that way every year.

He knocked and she opened the door, her face in complete shock. He smiled at the cuteness of her innocent demeanor. His excitement was nearly tangible as he held his hand out to her.

"I hope you don't have any plans today," He told her, unable to stop smiling. "Because I am not leaving your side for anything." She smiled at that and he pulled her from her room and toward the stairs.

Nothing could go wrong. He wouldn't let it.

* * *

Evie watched the Mal before her carefully. She definitely wasn't the Mal that she had grown up with, and she had thought Ben was on her side, but he seemed as though the conversation the day before hadn't even happened. He wasn't spelled though, that much she could tell. But he had joined the traitor Mal. She and the boys would have to fix everything themselves.

"Anything?" Evie asked as Carlos and Jay joined her in the breakfast line.

She kept her eyes on the two lovebirds, her fear only mounting more as they seemed to be getting closer. She knew Ben's plans and she knew how that would affect Mal if things didn't work out the right way. The real Mal, not the wannabe that could look like her but not act like her. She wanted to shake the crap out of Ben and make him see the truth, but she couldn't do it just yet.

"Nothing," Carlos answered, his voice low, as Jay piled his plate high with chocolate chip pancakes. "No sign of her, her magic, anything. Physical, metaphysical."

"We're stumped," Doug continued, and then he seemed to notice how that news affected her and changed his tune, "But that doesn't mean we're going to stop looking," He continued, giving her a smile before he kissed her cheek.

Even his cute little kisses didn't make her feel better. "Keep looking," she practically pleaded. "I'm going to try and stop anything from happening between the lovebirds," She continued. "Mal would go postal if she knew someone else had kissed her man first."

"There is a scientific way to go about this," Carlos continued, as they made their way through the line. "If it's not the real her, that means someone is pretending to be her," He continued. "They can't be her and themselves at the same time," He went on.

"Carlos, you are a genius!" Evie exclaimed. Whoever was missing had to be who was pretending to be Mal. "Doug, I need you to figure out who's not here," She told her boyfriend. "You've come to these things for years, you have to know who isn't here, right?" She asked.

"I'll do my best," Doug agreed, picking up silverware at the end of the table and moving to join Ben and the wrong Mal at their usual table. Evie followed him, feeling as if she was walking into the most dangerous mission.

If things went bad, they would go bad quickly.

* * *

Jay and Carlos roamed the hallways, sneaking through the halls, checking spare rooms and not so spare rooms for any sign of their purple haired friend and impromptu leader of their once ragtag band of freaks.

Jay felt his fingers itching as they searched through a few of the more wealthy guests rooms, but he continued to remind himself he was good, psyching himself up for the improvised tourney game he knew Ben was probably planning. Tourney made him happy, not stealing the really nice gold plated watch on Merlin's bedside table, or the priceless earrings in Aurora and Phillip's room.

Carlos had had to hold him back a few times, especially closer to the real priceless, expensive items, the queen's crown included, lined with all the gold and jewels Jay had ever seen in one place.

"We need to find Mal," Carlos had reminded him, gripping his wrist tight. "We're not on the isle anymore," He continued. "All we have to do is ask for things, remember?"

"Thanks little bud," Jay answered, pulling Carlos into a noogie and making him shout out in disagreement, though Jay knew he really liked it.

"If I were a manipulative faerie, where would I hide?" Jay asked, looking around the dusty storage closet in the north wing.

"Where would her magic not register?" Carlos continued, shining the flashlight toward what looked like Christmas decorations, the handheld device he had built to search for her faerie magic quiet in his hands.

"The barrier used to keep all magic and electricity out," Jay reasoned. "Could someone have sent her back to the isle? A little one-two," He swung his fists as if he were fighting someone, "Knock her out, send her back without any of us noticing?"

Carlos turned to face him. "Or someone could have manufactured a magic barrier somewhere in the castle," He reasoned. "It's not hard," he continued, "It just requires a conduit and a focal point susceptible to EMPs and a surreptitious location."

"English please?" Jay answered, staring at Carlos, half interested in his scientific mumbo jumbo, but more interested in the way his face lit up in excitement.

"A hidden place, where no one could just stumble onto it, and any electrical outlet would do," Carlos explained, his search renewed, the periodic table of elements mumbling under his breath. "What year was the castle built?" He asked. Jay just shrugged. "We need to find that library!" Carlos realized before he broke into a sprint.

Jay smirked and chased after him. He knew better than to argue when Carlos was after something.

* * *

As the masses began to gather for the afternoon festivities, Doug scanned their faces. He knew it would be a lot easier if they had had the council that day, so he could group them all by their region and their delegates, but he worked with what he had. He knew he wouldn't have a complete list until everyone gathered after dark for the fireworks, but he knew it would be too late then.

He knew all about Ben's plans, not just from Evie and her gushing about how romantic it was going to be as he kissed Mal during the sunset, but from Ben himself, asking him what would be more romantic as they had erected the maypole and chopped the wood for the bonfires. Ben had wanted everything to be perfect, and Doug couldn't blame him.

He knew he had to find the solution before everyone gathered for the fireworks. He had to find the imposter and do his part to save the kingdom.

He wasn't a fighter, or a great jouster, or even the best looking, but Evie made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. He wasn't about to disappoint her, or any of the other VKs that had become like his family.

So who wasn't there?

* * *

Carlos hopped up from the chair in the library, snapping the book shut and running toward where he knew Ben and Mal were lounging in the sunshine and picnicking as everyone passed time waiting for the true festivities to begin. He knew he had probably woken Jay from a brief nap, when he scuffed the chair against the floor in haste, but he didn't care. He had to talk to Ben.

He found Ben and the imposter Mal lounging on a typical blanket in the perfectly manicured grass, apparently cloud watching, his arms wrapped around her and her body nestled into his. They were really cute. If it was the real Mal, he wouldn't have disturbed them, but he knew how important it was, even if Ben seemed to be distracted.

At first Carlos tread carefully, hearing Jay come to a stop behind him, and it looked like both Ben and Mal had crashed from exhaustion, but Ben seemed to perk up as he saw them.

"Are you guys ready for the tourney game this afternoon?" He asked, his face a permanent smile it seemed. "Throw the tourney ball around?" He asked, giving a little knowing smile to the Mal next to him.

Carlos knew he had to choose his next words carefully. "Yeah," he answered with a smile, not only would it be a great cover for Evie and Doug to figure out who was fake Mal, but it would keep Ben farther away from giving the kiss (and the kingdom) to the wrong girl. "But Jay and I were wondering if there were any blueprints of the castle," He continued. "Jay is really into old architecture and this place is so old, it just gets his motor running, you know?"

Not the best choice of words, but it seemed to work.

"My dad should have one in his office," Ben answered, "I'm sure he'd love to talk to you about the old place, Jay," He continued, looking to Jay with a smile. "Just don't let him keep you too long. The game starts at 6 sharp."

Just enough time to do some exploring and find the real Mal to fix everything before it was too late.

He started running again, and Jay followed, running through the empty halls. With the excellent weather for the summer solstice, almost everyone was outside. A perfect cover for their less than approved exploration.

Jay picked the lock to King Beast's office with shaking hands. "It's for a good cause," Carlos told him. "You're picking locks for good," He continued, placing a hand on his shoulder. That seemed to calm Jay down and Carlos resisted the urge that flowed through him.

Mal first, unresolved, most likely misinterpreted sexual tension later.

* * *

Evie stared at her boys as they all huddled near the chocolate fountain. The day was slowly creeping into evening and she knew they were running out of time.

"Anything?" She asked the three of them, hoping there was some silver lining in the whole weird situation.

"We think Mal is trapped behind some kind of magical barrier like on the island," Carlos explained.

"We just can't find it," Jay answered, downhearted.

"Doug?" Evie asked, "Anyone not here?" It was getting close to Ben calling the festivities to a start with the lighting of the bonfires and the tourney game, not to mention dancing the maypole.

"Not everyone is here yet," Doug answered, "but I've ruled out about four of the seven kingdoms," He explained. "And most of a fifth," He added, and she knew it was only to make her feel better.

"So we're nowhere!" Evie sighed frustratedly. "We all know what's going to happen if Ben kisses the wrong Mal, right?" She asked, looking toward the two of them as they made their rounds to the kingdom members already there on the greens. "If he promises something to the wrong Mal?" She continued.

"Bad news," Jay answered as Ben hopped up onto the small little stage, announcing the start of the festivities and calling those willing to play a tourney game.

"Carlos, Jay," Evie called their attention back to her as they all turned toward Ben to try and look as innocent as possible. "I don't care how you do it, but keep Ben away from Mal as long as possible," She explained, bowing with the rest of the subjects. "Doug," she continued, gripping his hand tight. "I need you to stay here and figure out who isn't here as soon as possible."

"What about you?" Doug asked her, pushing his glasses up on his nose as they all stood back up from their bows.

"I'm going to find answers," Evie decided.

"From Maleficent?" Doug asked, though he already had to know that was where she was going.

"If anything happens, text me," She answered, "Though I'm pretty sure I'll already know." She added, before she kissed his cheek gently.

* * *

Mal's room was dark when Evie entered, the curtains drawn tight, the plastic cage below the window, the red heat lamp the only dim light in the room. It was strange to see it so empty, so barren, so absent of any sign of Mal.

"Maleficent!" Evie spoke, moving toward the plastic cage. The lizard crawled out from under the log and stared her down. "I know you are somehow involved in Mal's disappearance."

"Evie!" Maleficent exclaimed in surprise. "How I have so missed sharing a room with you and the dwarf," She mocked. "I have no idea where little Mal has run off to, perhaps the Boy King has swept her away again."

"Bullshit!" Evie answered. "Both you and I know you're lying." She sat on the bed and watched the mistress of evil carefully for any signs of a tell. "You have every reason to torment Ben and Mal just so you can get the kingdom," Evie continued, "So why wouldn't you do everything in your power to make sure the kingdom was yours?" She asked.

"Blueberry," Maleficent continued, "She has to kiss the pup before the kingdom becomes mine," She explained, "If I hid her away what good would it do to me? I can't exactly run a kingdom from a plastic cage, now can I?"

Evie stood. "If you don't tell me where Mal is right now, I will- I will-" she couldn't think of anything that would threaten the queen of evil herself enough.

Luckily she didn't have to. The door to Mal's room burst open and Evie found herself heaving a sigh of relief.

* * *

The tourney game had gone well, besides the few times that Jay had checked him a little too hard knocking him off of his feet, and the few passes that he was sure that Carlos had missed on purpose. He couldn't help turning his attention to Mal whenever he could and giving her a smile. He knew exactly what was going to happen, the romantic evening that he had planned and the promise he was going to break no matter what.

He loved her and he had to make sure she knew that. He had to make sure everything was perfect.

As the sun began to set behind the mountains to the west, he called everyone's attention to the maypole and the dance that was to follow. He looked to Audrey and Chad and several of the other couples that had begun dating during the last year. They would be the first group to dance the maypole and the first of the generations to promise their love to each other as they wove the ribbons down the wooden pole.

He pulled Mal with him, the smile on his face not flagging at all as he, Mal, Chad, Audrey and a few of the other couples joined around the pole. Doug and Evie joined last minute and then the band began to play the customary music.

Ben had thought it was a stupid tradition, and he had never liked it much with Audrey as his other half, but with Mal he was actually excited. He looked forward to grabbing her and pulling her to him as soon as the dance ceased and promising her the world basically. He couldn't believe in less than five minutes he would be able to finally kiss her.

The dance came to an end as each couple paired, arms wrapped around each other, and Ben found himself panting as he wrapped his arms around Mal. The smile on his face only growing wider as she pulled him closer.

"I love you," She said breathlessly with a small smile, and he stood there stunned. He had never heard her say it first. He had never expected her to say it first.

He smiled and leaned forward, brushing her bangs out of her eyes to find them a little more Hazel than green. A slight change to what he was used to, but the gold flecks were still there and she was still as beautiful as ever. "I promise you the-"

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT PROMISE, BENJAMIN FLORIAN!" A familiar voice shouted and he turned to see another Mal standing behind him, her face a mix of anger and fear.


	39. Chapter 39

Ben stared between the two Mals. The one he had his arms wrapped around and the one that stood several feet away, wearing a scowl. If he had to choose which was the real Mal, he couldn't decide.

Where the Mal before him had had hazel eyes, when he looked at her again, they were once again green. He didn't look close enough, but he was sure they would be exact replicas.

So then which one was the real Mal?

"Ben!" The Mal a few feet from him shouted and he pulled his attention from the Mal in front of him to look at her. "This is what my mother wants," She told him. "I could try and convince you that I am the right Mal, but you know in your heart who is who." He felt she was almost too calm to be the real Mal.

The Mal in his arms thought the same thing. "She couldn't possibly be the real Mal," She said. "I am livid that this imposter would even try to convince you otherwise." She practically growled in his arms. "You know the truth, Ben," She continued, brushing her hand against his cheek and leaning closer to him. "Break the promise and kiss me before she causes more trouble," She whispered, leaning closer still.

"Ben!" The Mal farther away called out again, and he pulled his attention from the close Mal again and he pushed her away, the confusion all becoming too much.

Everyone's eyes on him, them, and the murmurs of confusion became too much. "Everyone shut up!" He bellowed.

And as a command from their king, they all did.

Everything seemed to freeze after that. As he studied the two Mals before him with as much detail as he could while keeping his distance. They both looked exactly the same, down to the white scars on their hands. He knew he would have to question them until he could find which one was lying.

He took his eyes away from them, to find Evie, Jay and Carlos in the crowd and calling them forward. If anyone could help him tell the difference, they could.

"Don't move from where you stand," Ben commanded to both of them. "If either of you move, I will lock you in the dungeons so fast your heads will spin." He looked from one Mal to the other, and then back again. He still couldn't tell a single difference between them.

"The four of us will ask questions to determine who is the real Mal," Ben explained, pointing to himself and the other three VKs. He realized it would be like a morality trial all over again and he tried not to cringe. Mal had hated that. "Evie, ladies first," He said, looking to Evie briefly.

Evie moved forward and stared at the two Mals. "We threw great ragers on the isle," She began. "What did you tell me to do at the last rager we went to?" She asked, pointing to the Mal on the left.

The Mal on the right smiled as the Mal on the left answered. "I told you to navigate Cruella's closet," She answered, "Hoping that you would get your pretty little legs snapped off in the bear traps." The Mal on the right laughed along.

Evie turned to the Mal on the right. "Why were we not friends on the isle?" She asked, taking a few steps toward her.

The Mal on the right rolled her eyes. "You didn't invite me to your birthday party after I shoved you," She explained, "My mother banished you and your mother to your castle for life," She continued, "but you came back anyway."

Evie turned back to Ben and shook her head. "I can't tell who is who," She explained. "They both talk and act and dress like Mal," She answered.

Carlos stepped forward. "You used to tease me, until you needed me," He began. "When did you stop?" He asked both of them.

"When I realized your mother treated you worse than any of the rest of us," The Mals answered together, both staring at each other in frustration.

"This isn't going to work," Jay pointed out with a whisper in Ben's ear. "They both seem to have Mal's memories."

Ben had noticed that too, but he was running out of plans. What had Mal said at the morality trial about shapeshifting and how taxing it was? Both of them looked strong and healthy, for now, but he could always throw them into the magical barrier in the dungeons.

"Throw them into the dungeons," Ben decided, trying not to cringe. It was torture and he knew that, but being behind a magical barrier with iron bars would clear the situation up pretty quickly.

"No!" The Mal on the right shouted taking a brief step forward then stopping. "There has to be another way!" She added, her eyes catching Ben's.

"Take them to the dungeons," Ben repeated to the castle guards on high alert, he wasn't about to do anything stupid with either of the Mals. Even though their eyes always captivated him.

The guards stepped forward and Left Mal lunged and the Mal on the right sending them both to the grass in a scuffle. Left Mal pulled Right Mal's hair and Right Mal punched Left Mal hard, trying to get her to let go. Right Mal rolled over Left Mal, holding her down hard and sending another fist into Left Mal's face.

Left Mal's eyes glowed an angry green and she reached up and yanked Right Mal to the ground beside her, twisting her arm behind her back hard and making Right Mal cry out in pain.

They rolled around again, both fighting for dominance and Ben stared in horror. He had lost which Mal was which. Not that it mattered, he was still as stumped as ever.

Right Mal screamed through the pain and kicked up, forcing Left Mal to stumble forward, on top of her. Right Mal turned and grabbed Left Mal hard on the shoulders, head butting her and making her scream out in pain.

"This ends now!" Right Mal shouted, pulling the sleeve from Left Mal's shoulder and pressing hard into it, making her scream in pain. "I know who you are," She continued. "Jane!"

She yanked the pendant from the other Mal's neck with a fury that could not be matched. As soon as she said her name, the features of Mal melted away to reveal Jane, in clothes too big, looking around frightened and confused. Mal still held her there under her, her anger only seemed to be mounting as she stared the younger girl down, yanking Ben's ring from her forefinger.

In an instant, Ben rushed forward to pull them apart, pulling Mal to her feet as Fairy Godmother ran forward to Jane and helping her up. He knew better than to let her get too angry, though he wasn't sure if he could stop it if she was.

"I am so sorry your majesty," Fairy Godmother spoke in a hurried now as she helped Jane up and wrapped her arms around her tightly to pull her away. She was obviously a concerned mother. "Please be merciful and be kind in your judgement."

"It wasn't her fault," Ben realized, his brain suddenly feeling clear again, and calm with Mal in his arms. He held her back hard as she lunged for Jane, her fighting instincts still strong. "Get her to bed and keep her strength up," He instructed gently, holding Mal back tightly as she fought against him.

"Calm down," He whispered to Mal, his arms wrapped around her waist tightly. "Jane wasn't to blame. You and I both know she doesn't possess enough magic for something like that."

Mal seemed to calm down after that and he released her once he knew Jane and her mother were back inside the castle and a good distance away.

She turned to face him, her hair falling out of several of the hairpins and her dress ripped and dusted with dirt and grass stains from the scuffle, but he still found his breath getting caught in his throat. Where had he been before everything had been sidetracked by the two Mals?

* * *

Mal stared at Ben, everything finally starting to settle within her. After the past few days of being trapped, seeing him, standing before him was a relief. Even if it was the day that Ben would try to break the promise or not, she was so relieved to just be near him.

"Is it the real you?" Ben whispered to her, brushing his thumb across the raised red mark from one of Jane's hits on her cheek. "I want to be sure before I make any more promises." He continued gently.

She slipped his ring back onto her finger and leaned forward, pulling the knife from the holster strapped around her thigh. Before she even withdrew it fully from her skirt, she turned it and handed the handle to him first. He refused to take it, his face trying to hide his confusion, but she saw it.

She pulled her sleeve down to reveal the dragon mark. "You won't hurt me," She said. "It can't be harmed," She explained. "Or would you like to ask me more questions?" She asked darkly.

When he didn't take the knife from her, she turned it in her hand and sliced against her mother's mark. The singing of metal against metal met her ears as he just stared, a smile forming on his face. She returned the knife to its holster, just under her skirt.

He took her empty hand and pulled her forward to face everyone else. "I have something to say," Ben spoke, calling all eyes and attention to him, and them.

Mal looked out into the crowd that had formed around them, noting several familiar faces quite close. Evie was starting to tear up and Mal knew she and Carlos and Jay, if not everyone else, knew what was coming next.

"I made a really idiotic promise a while back to Mal and I would like to amend it," He spoke, loud enough for everyone to hear, she was sure.

She tried to keep her face neutral, not too excited and not too bored looking, not only because of all of the eyes on her, but because of the pain from the blows from Jane as herself and the welts she knew that were forming from her own fists wearing Ben's ring.

"I promised my kingdom for a single kiss," Ben continued, squeezing her hand in his gently and she squeezed it back, her eyes scanning the faces in the crowd and avoiding anyone scowling as much as she could. "But I would like to promise something else instead."

Mal froze as he turned to face her and she realized she had no idea what he was about to promise. They had never really come to a solution she realized, at least not together, and yet he was ready to risk everything before nearly everyone in the kingdom.

"Mal," he said, and she swallowed her fear and tried to focus on how the gold crown on his head brought out the blue in his eyes. "I promise that the only way I will give you my kingdom is if we share it," He continued, "The only way I will give my kingdom for a kiss, is for a kiss of wedded bliss," He announced for everyone else and her.

So he had found a way to promise her his kingdom and not force them into marriage at a young age.

At that moment, she felt something shift in the air, a new promise sealing itself against them and all of the witnesses there before them. He had indeed found a way to break it and not propose to propose, or whatever he had wanted to do before. She felt the electricity between them, the potential of new things available to them, his hand gripping hers tightly.

Then he turned to her and she felt her breath getting caught in her throat. "You felt that, right?" he asked, his voice barely even a whisper. "That shift?" He continued. "I think I can kiss you now, if you'll let me."

Mal swallowed hard, her fear mounting for different reasons. Not because she didn't feel that Ben couldn't kiss her, but because all eyes were on them. She kept her eyes on Ben, the words stuck in her throat.

From the crowd beside them, a distinct set of humming began and both Ben and Mal turned at the new noise where none was expected. There, Mal saw Doug and Evie step forward from behind a few others, the humming coming from them, Evie catching her eyes with a smile as she began to sing with Doug humming the background melody.

 _There you see him,_

 _Standing there across the way._

 _He has got a lot to say_

 _But there's something about him._

Mal looked to Ben with a little smile and he just shrugged back, looking as confused as she did, a smile playing on the edge of his lips. The lips that were starting to look more kissable by the second, but she knew about Evie and her theatrics and her "perfect moments" obsession. He would just have to wait a few minutes longer.

 _And you know why,_

 _You're dying to try,_

 _You wanna kiss the boy._

Well Evie certainly wasn't wrong, and her cute little song with Doug had given Mal courage, at least a little more than she had had before. She leaned closer to Ben, his hands grasping hers gently as he felt the pendant in her palm, he took it from her and straightened it out, ready to help her put it on as soon as he could.

As soon as Evie finished her verse, Doug picked it up and she could see Ben trying not to look disappointed.

 _Yes, you want her_

 _Look at her, you know you do_

 _It's possible she wants you, too_

 _There is one way to ask her._

Mal snuck a look to Doug and Evie, totally cute, holding hands and singing together and then she turned her attention back to Ben, his eyes soft and gentle as he leaned closer, his hands moving around her waist.

 _It don't take a word_

 _Not a single word_

 _Go on and kiss the girl._

Ben leaned forward, closer and closer until she was sure she would die of anticipation. He got close enough to nearly brush his lips against hers, when something else pulled them from their moment.

Jay and Carlos joined in with Evie and Doug. Mal couldn't help but let out a short laugh as they really got into it.

 _Sing with me now_

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _My, oh, my_

 _Look at the boy too shy_

 _He ain't gonna kiss the girl_

Eventually even more people joined in, and it only got louder and more rowdy as the song went on. The chorus building and building, Jay, Carlos, Evie and Doug only getting more into it as the chorus continued.

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Ain't that sad_

 _Ain't it shame, too bad_

 _You gonna miss the girl_

Mal could see the blush cross Ben's cheeks and she couldn't help but laugh as it did. If the crown made him look young, the blush made him look even younger and definitely cuter, if that was even possible. She wanted so badly to pinch his cheeks, but instead she just enjoyed their closeness as they were serenaded.

 _Now's your moment_

 _Underneath the solstice moon_

 _Boy, you better do it soon_

 _No time will be better_

Mal had to agree with that. She had already waited several months and now that she could feel the promise he had made earlier dissolving away, she felt herself starting to shake in anticipation. She allowed herself to begin to feel excitement for the moment to come.

 _She don't say a word_

 _And she won't say a word_

 _Until you kiss the girl._

She actually had several words to say, feeling those three words get stuck in her throat again as Ben smiled at her, clearly enjoying himself.

"This wasn't my idea," He whispered into her hair and she couldn't help but laugh against him again.

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Don't be scared_

 _You got the mood prepared_

 _Go on and kiss the girl_

"I know," Mal whispered back, "You learned your lesson the last time you serenaded me." She leaned further into him, and he began swaying her with the music.

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Don't stop now_

 _Don't try to hide it how_

 _You wanna kiss the girl_

Mal couldn't help herself. She started singing with Evie and Doug and the rest of them. She may have been nervous and still slightly scared, but at least it would be a memorable first kiss, that was for sure.

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Sing along_

 _Listen to the song_

 _The song say kiss the girl_

Ben joined in, continuing to sway her with the song. She could hear his heart beating in his chest, speeding up, and she wasn't sure if it was due to their upcoming kiss, or something else. She was sure her heart was doing the same.

 _Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

 _Music play_

 _Do what the music say_

 _You wanna kiss the girl_

The song just continued to build on and on, and Ben pulled her attention back toward him, their imminent kiss more imminent. Their eyes met and she could feel her heart threatening to beat right out of her chest. He cupped her chin gently in his hands, a slight smile pulling at the edges of his lips.

 _You've got to kiss the girl_

 _Why don't you kiss the girl_

 _You gotta kiss the girl_

 _Go on and kiss the girl_

The song came to an end, and Mal found herself relieved, as strange as it sounded. The urge to kiss Ben only building as they had been serenaded, as he got closer, his once so dangerous lips now dangerous in another way.

She feared after just one kiss she would be addicted.

"I think they want us to kiss," He said, barely above a whisper, his nose barely brushing against hers, his thumbs running gentle circles against her cheeks. "Do you think we should?"

She let out a short chuckle, her hands resting against his shoulders, trying not to tap her fingers nervously. "Well we can't leave your subjects unhappy, they might revolt," She said before his lips crashed down against hers in the gentlest of crashes.

True to his word, he started with gentlest of kisses, his lips barely touching hers. When he seemed to realize it was safe, he kissed her a little harder, pulling her a little closer. His desire and her response ran through her like electricity, her hands gripping him harder, pulling him closer. A need, a hunger only growing within her in a way she had never experienced before.

His lips were softer than she had ever imagined, with the faint taste of peppermint. He had apparently thought of everything, trying to make every single aspect of their first kiss perfect. His cheeks were baby soft against her hands, as she held him to her tight, nowhere near ready for that to be it.

He took in a short breath of air against her and shifted his head to take more of her lips, his hands moving to her neck. She shuddered against him. She didn't care who was there or what she and Ben looked like, arms tangled, bodies closer than probably appropriate, looking like they were eating each other's faces off. As long as his lips were against hers, that was all she cared about.

 _Please don't let all of this just be a spell._ She thought as she took a short breath against him, his lips only making her want more. _Break any spells Ben has over him and let all of these feelings be true._

Those three words threatening to bubble up, even though her lips were already busy, her hands diving into his hair, not caring about the crown or anything else for that matter.

After what seemed like a small eternity and no time at all rolled into one, they broke apart, practically gasping for air, smiles plastered on their faces. The onlookers clapped and Mal was sure Evie was trying not to cry, but totally bawling like a baby.

"Best kiss of your life?" Ben asked, his voice throaty and seductive and sending shivers down her spine, as he panted slightly, his hands still holding her close not wanting to let her go, just as she clinged to him.

She smiled. "Only kiss of my life," She answered, unable to keep the relief and the satisfied grin from her cheeks. She didn't want that to be the case forever.

"I can fix that," Ben answered, pulling her closer, just to torture her as he continued to speak. "Do you still think I'm under a love spell?" He asked, "Or shall I try and convince you otherwise?"

She shushed him with a finger to his lips. "No more promises," She said with a smile. "You didn't have to promise your kingdom at all," She admitted, with a whisper, "I just want you." She brought her lips to his again, starting gentle, just as he had, then hoping to torture him as much as he had tortured her.

Only that kiss felt completely different.

As soon as his lips met hers, a chill began creeping up from her lips out toward her cheeks and throughout the rest of her body paralyzing her where she stood. Ben only seemed to be getting warmer against her as the feeling diminished across her skin, everything seeming to shut down and give in to black.

Was that what dying felt like?

Hadn't they broken the promise?

She felt herself fall back to the grass, no one there to catch her, her eyes frozen closed, her mind racing, though not for much longer.

As she felt herself losing consciousness, she could distinctly hear three things.

Her mother's cackle.

The screams of terror from everyone else.

And a strange howl quite close by.


	40. Chapter 40

Wow! It's finally finished. Thank you everyone for the love and support over these past few months!

I am happy to tell you that that is not the end for our beloved characters.

Keep an eye out for the sequel, coming soon!


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